hooligans

noun

plural of hooligan
as in thugs
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang London bobbies clearing the streets of hooligans

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hooligans There’s still time to make the most of your Southern summer, with old-fashioned traditions to help you—and perhaps a few other neighborhood hooligans from back in the day—feel like a kid again. — Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 22 July 2026 Andric argued that former soccer players targeted by hooligans were indeed a social group deserving protection, but the judges didn’t buy it. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026 But the victims were labeled as hooligans, and many survivors and victims' families felt the government had not done enough to investigate. — Lauren Frayer, NPR, 9 July 2026 Another problem identified by the immigration law judge was that a social group consisting of Serbian soccer players who are victims of violence from soccer hooligans is too fluid. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 July 2026 The actions of hooligans following the Knicks championship is inexcusable. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 June 2026 Not only were hooligans running riot every week, but the grounds weren’t fit for purpose, and attendances were locked into a sustained nosedive. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 23 May 2026 But Bruce stands apart from his fellow hooligans. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026 Passengers could only stare out the windows as about a dozen hooligans jumped atop the bus while others sprayed it with graffiti, including on the bus' windshield. — Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooligans
  1. thugs
  2. criminals
  3. gangsters
  4. bandits
  5. villains
Noun
  • Shortly after his big win, he’s attacked by two thugs in a parking garage.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 July 2026
  • The night of the title fight, Duke is attacked by two thugs who smash his hand with a hammer and, in the ensuing chaos, kill somebody close to him.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026
Definition of thugs
Noun
  • That gives criminals several ways to target you, even when your Paidwork balance was nearly empty.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Cyber criminals are using highly convincing counterfeit audio, video, and identity fabrications as tools in ways that conventional detection methods will fail to identify.
    — Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of criminals
Noun
  • Remember all those fake memoirs from the early 2000s, by all those writers pretending to be addicts and gangsters and Holocaust survivors?
    — James Parker, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026
  • In each, the protagonist(s) will be sought by both police and gangsters yet will lose their own money and have to get along without any while on the run.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of gangsters
Noun
  • The plot is set in motion when dacoits (armed bandits) rob and murder Ram Lal, the village moneylender and head of Mano Majra’s only Hindu household.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026
  • Instead, most are romantic stories about young lovers separated by fate, and the rest are swashbuckling adventures full of bandits and pirates.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026
Definition of bandits
Noun
  • Still, bonus points for casting Chukwudi Iwuji as the menacing High Evolutionary, one of the oddest and most unsettling Marvel villains in recent memory.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
  • This trend suggests a need for new, effective villains to balance the roster.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of villains

Browse Nearby Words

hooliganism
hooligans
hoop
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hooligans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooligans. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on hooligans

Nglish: Translation of hooligans for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All