as in bandit
old-fashioned
a violent criminal who is not afraid of getting hurt or caught
A documentary about some notorious desperados of the Wild West.
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Recent Examples of desperado
And sometimes the best care is not bringing in a bunch of — as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar put it — a throbbing scum of fame-hungry desperados.
—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
31 July 2025
The latter implies that occasionally a few or many desperados enter the Treasury markets, selling everything in sight with an eye on bringing discipline or whatever to Washington.
—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
The other actors in the terrific eight-member cast — which includes Eddie Cooper, Dashiell Eaves and Ken Marks — play multiple roles as townsfolk, family members, lawmen, desperados, hucksters and suckers.
—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2025
Still, the robbery sent an Oklahoma sheriff’s posse and bloodhounds after these bungling desperados.
—
Mara Bovsun,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desperado
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
31 July 2025
The latter implies that occasionally a few or many desperados enter the Treasury markets, selling everything in sight with an eye on bringing discipline or whatever to Washington.
—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
The other actors in the terrific eight-member cast — which includes Eddie Cooper, Dashiell Eaves and Ken Marks — play multiple roles as townsfolk, family members, lawmen, desperados, hucksters and suckers.
—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2025
Still, the robbery sent an Oklahoma sheriff’s posse and bloodhounds after these bungling desperados.
—
Mara Bovsun,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desperado
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperado
Noun
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Instead, most are romantic stories about young lovers separated by fate, and the rest are swashbuckling adventures full of bandits and pirates.
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Fantastical adventures ensue as the pair encounter a mysterious woman, Alexandra, who has lost her son, along with coyotes, bandits, and some pretty big secrets.
Noun
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Together, the band brings to life a mythic world of ancient heroes and villains, attracting an excited audience of headbangers and fantasy fanatics, many of whom show up in costume.
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The performance earned her the award for best villain at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards.
Noun
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Independence Day celebrations come in the most challenging threat environment since 9/11, with the ongoing terror threat, a rise in political violence and continuing fears about lone-wolf offenders, according to Raia.
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There were also concerns listed in the analysis that the registry, which dates back to 1947, could include LGBTQ+ offenders from decades ago who were convicted of offenses that are no longer crimes.
Noun
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Go on, put the 131-cube (2,147 cc) monster engine into that one.
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There’s no way the doll monsters at the pond were the whole point of the Lake of Tears, right?
Noun
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Each song is about a different mythical beast, with a moral within each story.
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Perhaps another beast could be used for making hamburgers instead.
Noun
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The special bond between Supergirl and her scruffy animal sidekick becomes a key plot point in Kara’s new solo movie, where Krypto is poisoned by space outlaw Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).
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Sonically, Hazel Eyes is said to blend baroque pop, British folk, outlaw country and left-field R&B while foregrounding Smith’s signature vocal performances and intimate songwriting.
Cite this Entry
“Desperado.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperado. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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