Thesaurus results for THUG

thug

noun

ˈthəg

Definition of thug

as in gangster

a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang the Mob boss regularly sent his thugs after people who were slow to pay their debts

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 thug In the big screen take of Clayface, Hagen is a matinee idol on the rise, but his face gets slashed by thugs. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 23 July 2026 New Netflix exclusive The Debt Collector stars popular leading man Nadech Kugimiya as Num, a former hired thug who gets out of prison with just weeks to live. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 17 July 2026 The last game changed from gutter/thug ball to professional ball. — Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 16 July 2026 Threatening to limit mail-in voting, adding ridiculous ID requirements, or staging thugs at polling places are other possible ways to convince you to stay home. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for thug

Recent Examples of Synonyms for thug

Noun

This high-security prison is a sprawling complex that houses thousands of detainees, including notorious gangsters, terrorists and prominent white-collar offenders.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
The trailer signals a narrative grounded in moral ambiguity and raw human emotion rather than conventional gangster storytelling.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of gangster

Noun

North Carolina politician says Democrats are coddling criminals Records also list a September 2025 simple-assault charge and a March 2025 charge of assault on a female.

— Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Even if Anna Pigeon carries a gun with cuffs, as real-life law enforcement rangers do, there's much more to the job and character than chasing down criminals.

— Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of criminal

Noun

The second is the idea that this is where Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch returns to the MCU after being seemingly killed in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where she had been turned into a full villain.

— Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
But because Detroit chose the offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Skubal has unwittingly become a villain around the league.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of villain

Noun

Sharlto Copley brings ferocious life to his role as an assassin, setting a record in the process for the most times one person can have his head explode in a single film.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026
Created by Tessa Coates, Ride Or Die centers on an assassin, Judith (Waddingham), whose best friend of more than 20 years, MP’s wife Debbie (Spencer), is pulled into her latest case.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of assassin

Noun

Armed groups, known as bandits in Nigeria, regularly carry out raids and kidnappings for ransom in the northwest and north-central parts of the country.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
The film reimagines the legend of Chang’Er, the moon goddess, and her husband, the archer Hou Yi, picking up the story after Chang’Er ascends to the moon and setting her on a journey to its dark side alongside a bandit from Earth.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of bandit

Noun

The feature could help someone facing a violent thief or another coercive situation.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Police told local news outlets that thieves used one of the company trucks to smash through the site’s security gate and then spent eight hours combing through the building.

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of thief

Noun

Also in his orbit are a consortium of crooks, including his cousin Freddie, a hip junkie, and Pepper, a taciturn hoodlum who was friends with Ray’s dad, Big Mike, a legendary thief.

— Niela Orr, Vulture, 20 July 2026
In the past decade, the leadership of the Kinahan organization has become rich and cosmopolitan, and their life styles have started to resemble those of international businessmen more than of street hoodlums.

— Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2026

Definition of hoodlum

Noun

In the national consciousness, Blackpool has become a morbid caricature of working-class Britain—a place where binge drinking, violence, and vomit are in view of teacup rides, kids on the beach, and plastic pirates.

— George Francis Lee, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026
For their day off, the crew is treated to a ride on a pirate ship and a day at a beach club.

— Emma Soren, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of pirate

Browse Nearby Words

thuds

thug

thugs

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“Thug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thug. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of thug

noun

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