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
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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
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
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If criminals have enough information to keep attacking your accounts, a credit freeze can help stop them from opening new credit in your name.
-
And historically, denaturalization has been reserved for the most egregious offenders, such as human rights abusers and violent criminals.
Noun
-
Neither immigrant family should be linked to violent gangsters, of course.
-
One of the most innovative gangsters of the 20th century, Frank Lucas earned the title of Harlem drug kingpin in the late-‘60s and early-‘70s by importing high-quality heroin from Southeast Asia and selling it under the street name Blue Magic.
Noun
-
The new production will follow Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo from their comic book origins to becoming global pop culture icons, battling familiar villains along the way.
-
Trump’s great leaders were villains, not heroes.
Noun
-
In the movie, Furiosa is taken from her idyllic home by bandits and grows up shuttled between psychopath Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and warlord Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme).
-
There are dogs, bandits, romances, political revolutions, philosophical debates.
Noun
-
Unfortunately, Daemon’s hired assassins killed Aegon’s young son Jaehaerys instead so any real possibility for a family reconciliation was lost.
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Forced to flee together, the pair embark on a high-stakes road trip across Europe while being hunted by law enforcement, elite assassins and dangerous criminals.
Noun
-
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.
-
The first pictures McCullin took were of hoodlums and down-and-outs, subjects that reflected his own hardscrabble background.
Noun
-
An employee said the thieves stole the cash register and several tobacco products.
-
Lightweight, yet durable, this small bag features RFID-blocking technology to prevent thieves from accessing your credit card numbers and personal details with a quick skim (scan) of your bag on a busy street or crowded bus.
Noun
-
We’re told that Krem, a human trafficker who leads a group of space pirates known as the Brigands, possesses the strength of 10,000 men.
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The 180-degree view shows everything from packages to porch pirates in sharp HD, and motion alerts pop up instantly on your phone.
Cite this Entry
“Thugs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thugs. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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