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

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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 January, the institution suffered a cyberattack, and German media subsequently reported that thieves may have been interested in two valuable pieces of Chinese porcelain. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 29 Oct. 2026 Police told the outlet that two thieves at the scene had been wearing all black clothing. — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2026 With one being a cop and the other a thief, Warren and Harry (Turturro) have a history on both ends of the spectrum. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2026 Police are investigating after thieves snagged cases of frozen snow crab in a cargo heist in Philadelphia. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for thief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thief
  1. robber
  2. burglar
Noun
  • Romero retired from the NYPD as a detective in 2001, a year after he was shot while off duty by armed robbers at his family-run laundromat in Brooklyn, law enforcement sources told ABC New York City station WABC.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The series opens from the police perspective, but later the story rewinds and is told through the eyes of the robbers and and their hostages inside the bank.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of robber
Noun
  • For example, the 60-year-old burglar who's already done three of his five years might prove as much.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Notably in October 2024, burglars broke into several shipping containers on a freight train in the West Side's Austin community in an hours-long daylight heist.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 27 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 2 Nov. 2026.

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