as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
the complaint that English football has been taken over by the yobs, who make the stadiums unfit for families
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of yob
There’s certainly little warmth surrounding the past here, beginning with an eerie, cryptic prologue, set in 1973, that sees a rural wedding crashed by yobs in sinister, medieval-looking straw masks, followed by yellowing newspaper headlines that puzzle over the bride’s subsequent disappearance.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Aug. 2024
Johnson has more to worry about than just random yobs disrupting the call.
—Mark Hachman, PCWorld, 31 Mar. 2020
After the yobs fled, the Sun reported, Cumberbatch hugged the deliveryman from Deliveroo, a U.K. food-delivery service.
—The Washington Post, NOLA.com, 2 June 2018
But these folk will not be your random yobs brought in to gawp.
—William Booth, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2018
Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Aug. 2024
Johnson has more to worry about than just random yobs disrupting the call.
—Mark Hachman, PCWorld, 31 Mar. 2020
After the yobs fled, the Sun reported, Cumberbatch hugged the deliveryman from Deliveroo, a U.K. food-delivery service.
—The Washington Post, NOLA.com, 2 June 2018
But these folk will not be your random yobs brought in to gawp.
—William Booth, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yob
Noun
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The fact that this racist thug has been handed policing power by Netanyahu says more about the state of Israel’s democracy and political values—and in particular about the prime minister’s values—than many Israelis might like to admit.—
Avi Issacharoff,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2026
-
White thugs destroyed it in the 1921 Race Massacre.—
Jasmine Desiree,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
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The bigger issue is that many systems still rely on information criminals may already have, such as birthdays, addresses and partial Social Security numbers.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
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Iowa Republicans responded by branding Roberts a criminal and calling for an investigation of the district’s hiring practices.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Despite rumors swirling since last week that the actor would not return for a third season, sources confirmed discussions are underway to find a way for Hardy (who plays gangster Harry Da Souza in the Paramount+ show) to come back.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
28 May 2026
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In every revolution, there are gangsters.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
28 May 2026
Noun
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The iconic villain, portrayed by Robert Mitchum in 1962’s Cape Fear and by Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s 1991 version, is back on screen in the new Apple TV adaptation.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2026
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Dead-end conflict is where the hero and the villain, the good guys and the bad guys, essentially never have any opportunity for movement or reconciliation at the end of the story.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Yob.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yob. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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