Thesaurus results for THUG

thug

noun

ˈthəg

Definition of thug

as in gangster

a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang the Mob boss regularly sent his thugs after people who were slow to pay their debts

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 thug The eponymous former assassin is drawn back into the game after some thugs (led by Alfie Allen) kill his dog and royally piss him off. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026 Tae-ha’s mom left him after Sang-gil, who was also a boxer prior to becoming a thug, cheated in a match. — Kayti Burt, Time, 7 Aug. 2026 Shortly after his big win, he’s attacked by two thugs in a parking garage. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 July 2026 Mandylor is equally hilarious as a dumb thug who is so deserving of becoming shark bait. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for thug

Recent Examples of Synonyms for thug

Noun

British gangsters colliding with the Italian Mafia just feels so right for our world.

— Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Sep. 2026
One kid wants to make a supernatural fantasy, another a gangster movie, another a boxing movie.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of gangster

Noun

Most crimes across Mexico went unsolved, and authorities sometimes appeared to be colluding with criminals instead of fighting them.

— Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Keeping email, downloads and everyday web activity away from that machine reduces the opportunities criminals have to reach it.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of criminal

Noun

There are no villains in Possible Love; there are only people who are aware of others, and people who are not.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
The former Democratic speaker was the longtime villain, a mainstay in ads as Republicans linked Democratic candidates to her to paint them as radical and out of touch.

— James A. Downs, The Washington Examiner, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of villain

Noun

Before Atlanta, the girls weren’t judged as heavily based on their reads or confessional assassin abilities.

— Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
As the President sat down to eat with the press corps, a would-be assassin stormed through a security checkpoint before being subdued by the Secret Service.

— Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of assassin

Noun

Leonard, who made tens of millions in off-the-books, no-show endorsements, made out like a bandit with this settlement, especially since his $51 million contract for the coming season was not voided.

— John Hollinger, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Analysts warn each ransom payment fuels more crime as armed groups, from rural bandits to Islamist militants, raid schools, mosques and villages, with an average of 21 kidnappings reported daily.

— Dyepkazah Shibayan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of bandit

Noun

Art thieves in Europe are committing more violent robberies and specialist gangs have been replaced by ad hoc opportunists recruited through social media, pan-European police body Europol said last month.

— Reuters, NBC news, 8 Sep. 2026
Authorities in France were seeking two thieves Tuesday who broke into the Renoir Museum in the French Riviera and stole two works by the 19th century Impressionist master, the local mayor said.

— Brian Dakss, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of thief

Noun

Also in his orbit are a consortium of crooks, including his cousin Freddie, a hip junkie, and Pepper, a taciturn hoodlum who was friends with Ray’s dad, Big Mike, a legendary thief.

— Niela Orr, Vulture, 20 July 2026
In the past decade, the leadership of the Kinahan organization has become rich and cosmopolitan, and their life styles have started to resemble those of international businessmen more than of street hoodlums.

— Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2026

Definition of hoodlum

Browse Nearby Words

thuds

thug

thugs

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“Thug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thug. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of thug

noun

Example Sentences

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