plural thieves
ˈthēvz 
: one that steals especially stealthily or secretly
also
: one who commits theft or larceny
Examples of thief in a Sentence
A thief took my purse.
a thief has been stealing wallets and valuables from the lockers at the gym
Recent Examples on the Web
When a thief opens an account with your SSN, birthdate and address, canceling the account only fixes part of the problem.
—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
4 July 2026
For several years, security experts have been warning against posting screenshots or photos of boarding passes on social media, as online scammers and thieves have been able to extract significant personal information from them.
—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
3 July 2026
When the legitimate truck arrived, the cargo thieves had already left with the bourbon.
—
Steve Weisman,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
For the second time in just over a month, the owners of a Pokémon card shop in the Pico-Robertson area are cleaning up after thieves targeted their business.
—
Amanda Starrantino,
CBS News,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for thief
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
4 July 2026
For several years, security experts have been warning against posting screenshots or photos of boarding passes on social media, as online scammers and thieves have been able to extract significant personal information from them.
—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
3 July 2026
When the legitimate truck arrived, the cargo thieves had already left with the bourbon.
—
Steve Weisman,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
For the second time in just over a month, the owners of a Pokémon card shop in the Pico-Robertson area are cleaning up after thieves targeted their business.
—
Amanda Starrantino,
CBS News,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for thief
Cite this Entry
“Thief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thief. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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