Thesaurus results for THUGS

thugs

noun

plural of thug

as in criminals

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 thugs The actions of these thugs, who should be imprisoned for a long while, is the cause of denying real Knicks fans the chance to watch the game communally. —

Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 10 June 2026 People have committed suicide because a bunch of thugs went after them. —

NBC news, 7 June 2026 The masked thugs deposit a tearful middle-aged woman in front of Bass, Newsom, and Harris. —

Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026 White thugs destroyed it in the 1921 Race Massacre. —

Jasmine Desiree, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026 He’s beaten by thugs with a crowbar for an unfortunate outburst, exploited by neighbors in the council estate and arrested, all because people don’t understand Tourette syndrome. —

Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026 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 The thugs would insinuate themselves into the confidence of wayfarers and, when a favorable opportunity presented itself, strangle them by throwing a handkerchief or noose around their necks. —

Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026 No government masked thugs shooting down our neighbors in the streets. —

Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 29 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for thugs

Noun

An allegation last year by a provincial police commander that top officers and officials were colluding with organized criminals led Ramaphosa to announce a national investigation into police corruption.

— Michelle Gumede, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
Roman emperors, sometimes urged on by the crowd, were known to grant pardons (to criminals) and freedom (to the enslaved) after an especially noteworthy performance.

— Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026