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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thug
Mayor vows to catch 'thugs who did this' Baton Rouge Mayor Sid Edwards promised that law enforcement will catch the people responsible for the violence at the mall.
—
Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Why shouldn’t Patrick Lynch, Patrick Hendry, Scott Munro and the rest of the NYPD unions defend a stone-cold guilty action by two thugs who’re supposed to protect us?
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
Pinell’s second film after Kiss and Cry, Shana stars her regular collaborator Éva Huault as a woman in her thirties navigating dead-end jobs, drug deals and an impossible relationship with a toxic thug, Moïse.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2026
But the word thug as a term for rogues and thieves lived on in English.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thug
Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Why shouldn’t Patrick Lynch, Patrick Hendry, Scott Munro and the rest of the NYPD unions defend a stone-cold guilty action by two thugs who’re supposed to protect us?
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
Pinell’s second film after Kiss and Cry, Shana stars her regular collaborator Éva Huault as a woman in her thirties navigating dead-end jobs, drug deals and an impossible relationship with a toxic thug, Moïse.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2026
But the word thug as a term for rogues and thieves lived on in English.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thug
Noun
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Despite rumors swirling since last week that the actor would not return for a third season, sources confirmed discussions are underway to find a way for Hardy (who plays gangster Harry Da Souza in the Paramount+ show) to come back.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
28 May 2026
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In every revolution, there are gangsters.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
28 May 2026
Noun
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The bigger issue is that many systems still rely on information criminals may already have, such as birthdays, addresses and partial Social Security numbers.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
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Iowa Republicans responded by branding Roberts a criminal and calling for an investigation of the district’s hiring practices.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Abraham Popoola As Lonnie Lincoln/Tombstone Abraham Popoola portrays Lonnie Lincoln, better known by his villain moniker Tombstone.—
Olivia Singh,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
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Its villains include Alexander Hamilton, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and, above all, Robert Bork, who reinterpreted antitrust doctrine as focused on protecting consumers—a legal transformation that Lynn deems the turning point that set America onto a path toward oligarchy.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
26 May 2026
Noun
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Isn’t that what an assassin would do?—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
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Later, the team pieces together that the assassins were professionals who had been hired by someone with deep pockets.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 May 2026
Noun
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Re-blockade will now happen at bandit camps and ruins.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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And what gives her purpose is meeting Ruthye, who’s also endured tragedy, and wants to avenge her family’s death at the hands of the bandit Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
20 May 2026
Noun
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The thieves entered the store, and damaged an ATM, but did not get inside the machine or take it, police said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
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Some of the victims are now being blackmailed into sharing their Apple ID credentials, which the thieves need to factory reset and resell the phones.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
27 May 2026
Noun
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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
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The Knesset recently legalized the death penalty for Arabs who murder Jews, but not for the hoodlum Israeli settlers who have been killing West Bank residents to seize their land.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There’s a dedicated kitchen for cooking classes, a craft and activity room as well as a pirate ship playground outside.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
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However, the fact that the monster is dressed like a pirate suggests that the seagull’s presence is symbolic, invoking sailor superstitions around sea birds.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thug. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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