Synonyms of thief

thief

noun

ˈthēf 

as in robber

one who steals

a thief has been stealing wallets and valuables from the lockers at the gym

Synonyms & Similar Words

• robber
• burglar
• kidnapper
• stealer
• pirate
• smuggler
• pincher
• bandit
• hijacker
• housebreaker
• embezzler
• pickpocket
• pilferer
• kleptomaniac
• larcenist
• safecracker
• purloiner
• shoplifter
• grafter
• picklock
• cat burglar
• plunderer
• looter
• cracksman
• highwayman
• cutpurse
• klepto
• abductor
• sneak thief
• carjacker
• ravisher
• pillager
• rustler
• footpad
• skyjacker
• poacher
• mugger
• despoiler
• dip
• ransacker

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of thief

Just hours after the Louvre heist last October –– which saw thieves strike during broad daylight and make off with Napoleonic-era treasures –– another French museum was similarly targeted. — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026

The device captures troves of card information, which thieves later collect in order to clone cards. — Juliana Kim, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026

The thieves used an electric saw to cut through a fence, entered the museum through the ground floor and cut clips securing the frames of four paintings. — Sylvie Corbet, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026

In Tokyo and Osaka, there are Chinese gangsters, Brazilian robbers, and even a gang of thieves from Serbia and Montenegro called the Pink Panthers. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026