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
Assuming the persona of a vigilante (Mitch Cohen), Melvin decides to fight crime and clean up the seedy town of Tromaville, New Jersey run by the corrupt Mayor Belgoody (Pat Ryan).
—
Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The company also shared quotes from police, attorneys, and academics describing how vigilante groups may interfere with investigations or employ methods that undermine criminal cases against offenders.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2025
By and large, these companies provide products that protect digital infrastructure against cyberattacks—whether from vigilante hackers or hostile foreign governments.
—Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2025
The Boys, a satirical drama about vigilantes who set out to take down corrupt superheroes, is gearing up for the release of its fifth and final season, expected sometime in 2026 on Prime Video.
—EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vigilante
Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The company also shared quotes from police, attorneys, and academics describing how vigilante groups may interfere with investigations or employ methods that undermine criminal cases against offenders.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2025
By and large, these companies provide products that protect digital infrastructure against cyberattacks—whether from vigilante hackers or hostile foreign governments.
—Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2025
The Boys, a satirical drama about vigilantes who set out to take down corrupt superheroes, is gearing up for the release of its fifth and final season, expected sometime in 2026 on Prime Video.
—EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vigilante
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vigilante
Noun
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In the early window, my Dirty Birds were down three to our arch-nemesis, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.—
Coy Wire,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
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His nemesis Toby returned nine episodes later.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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An important, if subtle, difference between Meiko Kaji and Pam Grier as action stars is that, where Kaji is an avenger, Grier is a protector.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
20 Aug. 2025
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May God be the ultimate avenger.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vigilante.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vigilante. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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