as in nemesis
one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense
the danger of these self-appointed vigilantes is that they sometimes go after innocent people
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Recent Examples of vigilante
The perpetrators were often Anglo-Texan vigilantes and law enforcement and sometimes involved massacres and lynchings.
—
Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
There are others in the crowded race: Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, best known for wearing a beret while leading the Guardian Angels vigilante group; Cuomo, who could stay in the race on a third-party line; and former prosecutor Jim Walden, running as an independent.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 27 June 2025
Think Batman set in the slums of Georgian London; Maximus is a literal Duke by day and vigilante by night, obsessed with avenging the death of his parents.
—American Booksellers Association, USA Today, 25 July 2025
Comment threads, whether on public forums or a closed, women-only dating safety app, welcome, and even invite, vigilante justice.
—Elliot Williams, CNN Money, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for vigilante
Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
There are others in the crowded race: Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, best known for wearing a beret while leading the Guardian Angels vigilante group; Cuomo, who could stay in the race on a third-party line; and former prosecutor Jim Walden, running as an independent.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 27 June 2025
Think Batman set in the slums of Georgian London; Maximus is a literal Duke by day and vigilante by night, obsessed with avenging the death of his parents.
—American Booksellers Association, USA Today, 25 July 2025
Comment threads, whether on public forums or a closed, women-only dating safety app, welcome, and even invite, vigilante justice.
—Elliot Williams, CNN Money, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for vigilante
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vigilante
nemesis
Noun
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Mike Yastrzemski, who just returned to the leadoff spot, belted a solo home run against longtime nemesis Joe Ryan to begin the night.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
9 Aug. 2025
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Given the shakeup at Atleti’s local nemesis and scene-stealer Real, and the notion that Baena is a familiar name, making the natural step up from one La Liga team to another, his switch may have gone relatively unnoticed outside Spain.—
Henry Flynn,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vigilante.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vigilante. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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