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 lines drawn were not simply between British officials and frontier vigilantes.
—
Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
South African police fired rubber bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of migrants seeking emergency refuge following a wave of vigilante assaults — violence that has escalated diplomatic tensions with Ghana and Nigeria.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 22 May 2026
The show, which featured a sizzling performance by Walton Goggins, as an authoritarian vigilante, was an avant-garde breakthrough for television.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
The two become vigilantes while running from police.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for vigilante
Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
South African police fired rubber bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of migrants seeking emergency refuge following a wave of vigilante assaults — violence that has escalated diplomatic tensions with Ghana and Nigeria.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 22 May 2026
The show, which featured a sizzling performance by Walton Goggins, as an authoritarian vigilante, was an avant-garde breakthrough for television.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
The two become vigilantes while running from police.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for vigilante
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vigilante
Noun
-
Often mislabelled as Superman's nemesis, Lobo is more correctly a member of the Man of Steel's Rogues Gallery, but often crosses the line as his violent interactions see fit.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
6 June 2026
-
Is dish soap the ultimate cast-iron skillet nemesis?—
Katherine McLaughlin,
Architectural Digest,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
But as all the world knows, Edmond Dantès did rise again, transformed from an innocent young sailor into that courtly yet implacable avenger, the Count of Monte Cristo.—
Michael Dirda,
The New York Review of Books,
19 Mar. 2026
-
And it was signed, black dahlia avenger.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Montgomery has barely been in the big leagues for two months but has already put his name alongside a couple of franchise icons (and another hard-core punisher of baseballs).—
Phil Rogers,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vigilante.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vigilante. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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