thief

noun

ˈthēf How to pronounce thief (audio)
Definition of thiefnext
as in robber
one who steals a thief has been stealing wallets and valuables from the lockers at the gym

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of thief In September, thieves stole four paintings by the Impressionist painter, but abandoned two of four paintings, Portrait of Madame Pichon (1895) and Coco Lisant (1905). — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Chief Executive Renzo Cotarella said the thieves disabled the winery’s alarm system and surveillance cameras before entering with two large trucks. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026 The thieves may have been targeting a gold chain, officers said. — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 Adams and Mourtgos, however, didn't examine Flock's effect on break-ins, where thieves steal belongings from parked cars. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for thief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thief
  1. robber
  2. burglar
Noun
  • The robbers were given a key and information about the property by Anthony Black, a security guard at the warehouse whose sister was in a relationship with Robinson.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
  • On Saturday, around seven masked robbers shut off the alarms and surveillance cameras surrounding one of Marchesi Antinori’s cellars in Cortona.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of robber
Noun
  • Smash-and-grab burglars backed their car into a gas station in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood Thursday to steal an ATM.
    — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The drone footage example shows one way Flock cameras can help the police track down car burglars.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of burglar

Browse Nearby Words

thick-witted
thief
thieve
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thief. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nexus

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All