as in thieves
a person who illegally enters a building in order to steal things; a person who commits burglary
The burglar had broken into several homes in the neighborhood.
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Recent Examples of burglars
At the end of January, burglars used sledgehammers to break into Patriot Pub in Crestwood, leaving the owner stunned by how brazen the thieves appear.
—
Jermont Terry, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
Laurence des Cars, the Louvre's president and director, previously acknowledged that the museum's cameras had failed to spot the burglars and that there were not enough cameras outside monitoring the museum's perimeter.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
But leaving your porch light on isn't always enough to deter more determined burglars.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026
In November, burglars broke into the home searching for memorabilia, the suit alleges.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Officers learned burglars hid a camouflaged camera in the bushes outside a home before fleeing the scene.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 1 Feb. 2026
The active theory was that the assailants were career burglars or career thugs or worse.
—Scott Eden, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
The movie’s biggest laughs come from Kevin’s hijinks, which involve setting up complex booby traps to fend off a pair of burglars targeting his family’s home.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
The Lucky Supermarket in Montclair was targeted twice in three days this week by pre-dawn burglars, who used a vehicle to smash through an entrance before taking merchandise in one break-in and some cash from an ATM in the other, authorities said.
—Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024
Jermont Terry, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
Laurence des Cars, the Louvre's president and director, previously acknowledged that the museum's cameras had failed to spot the burglars and that there were not enough cameras outside monitoring the museum's perimeter.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
But leaving your porch light on isn't always enough to deter more determined burglars.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026
In November, burglars broke into the home searching for memorabilia, the suit alleges.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Officers learned burglars hid a camouflaged camera in the bushes outside a home before fleeing the scene.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 1 Feb. 2026
The active theory was that the assailants were career burglars or career thugs or worse.
—Scott Eden, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
The movie’s biggest laughs come from Kevin’s hijinks, which involve setting up complex booby traps to fend off a pair of burglars targeting his family’s home.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
The Lucky Supermarket in Montclair was targeted twice in three days this week by pre-dawn burglars, who used a vehicle to smash through an entrance before taking merchandise in one break-in and some cash from an ATM in the other, authorities said.
—Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burglars
Noun
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Long-haul and overnight flights, for example, give thieves ample time and opportunity to peruse through suitcases and personal item bags while passengers are asleep, says Figgins.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
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The music video interposes clips of a nation on fire—thieves and looters running rampant, protesters spitting in cops’ faces—with footage of Aldean and his band playing in front of a courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, vowing to deliver justice.—
Mitch Therieau,
New Yorker,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The owner suffered minor injuries, police said, and later told officers the robbers’ haul was worth about $1 million.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
How did robbers break into the Louvre?—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Burglars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burglars. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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