as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
the loan shark sent a couple of gorillas to "convince" him to pay up
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gorilla
The baby chimpanzee joins a baby penguin named Atticus born in April 2025, a baby gorilla named Motema born in August 2024, and a chimpanzee named Tai born in May 2023.
—
Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 11 July 2025
At the time of the incident, six other gorillas were in the exhibit, and zookeepers used a hose to keep them at bay.
—Mark Gray, People.com, 27 June 2025
And a viral question about man versus gorilla has sparked lighthearted debate.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 1 May 2025
One punch is probably an automatic concussion from a gorilla.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for gorilla
Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 11 July 2025
At the time of the incident, six other gorillas were in the exhibit, and zookeepers used a hose to keep them at bay.
—Mark Gray, People.com, 27 June 2025
And a viral question about man versus gorilla has sparked lighthearted debate.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 1 May 2025
One punch is probably an automatic concussion from a gorilla.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for gorilla
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gorilla
Noun
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The 18th Street thugs then attacked a second victim with large wooden planks, causing lacerations that required sutures.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
10 July 2025
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Plus, she wasn’t forced to live in a remote jungle compound surrounded by gun-toting thugs, because no one was coming after her.—
Sam Kelly,
Time,
8 July 2025
Noun
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The film is currently filming in London with Joe and Anthony Russo, the directors behind the highest-grossing MCU movies ever, back behind the camera; Downey now playing the chief villain; and a slew of stars from the lost era of Fox's X-Men movies reprising their roles for the first time in years.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
24 July 2025
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In 1994, Hogan joined WCW and reinvented himself as a villain, forming the New World Order (nWo) and ushering in a new era of edgy storytelling.—
Hannah Parry
Amanda Castro
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
Noun
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The film, which celebrated its 70th anniversary last year, follows a group of seven samurai warriors who save a little village from annihilation at the hands of a group of bandits in 15th-century Japan.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
22 July 2025
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Riri joins their band of bandits — hacker Slug (Shea Couleé), pyrotechnic master Clown (Sonia Denis), enforcers Jeri (Zoe Terakes) and Roz (Shakira Barrera) aka the Blood Siblings.—
Ronda Racha Penrice,
HollywoodReporter,
11 July 2025
Noun
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The Japanese criminal organization puts a hit out on Ju-yeong, and gangsters flock to the city to take him out.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
21 July 2025
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The audio clip has been used by Venezuelans to ridicule the widespread suggestion that everyone from the country is a gangster.—
Melissa Sanchez,
ProPublica,
18 July 2025
Noun
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Ten years later, Jack and Jackie fell in love—and two months later, Jack was killed by an assassin’s bullet in Dallas, Texas.—
Rachel Burchfield,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
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After 50-plus years behind bars, Houten walked out in 2023. — In 2022, Newsom rejected the release of Robert F. Kennedy assassin Sirhan Sirhan — which parole commissioners had recommended.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
17 July 2025
Noun
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Anti-crime priorities In his remarks, Abbott also unveiled some get-tougher-on crime proposals, including eliminating parole for criminals convicted of child trafficking.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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And despite promises by the administration to remove the worst criminals, ICE deportation data from Jan. 1 to June 24 shows most people who were removed or detained didn’t have a violent criminal record, CBS News reported.—
Natalie Demaree,
Miami Herald,
28 July 2025
Noun
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Long romanticized by cinema (hello, Jack Sparrow), pirate imagery is sneaking into fashion shows, reinterpreted with with luxurious materials, high shafts, relaxed structure, and lots of buckles.—
María Munsuri,
Glamour,
27 July 2025
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The result was a very distinct split between those who figured out the game and stopped trading with the planet that produced the pirate spaceship, and those who did not.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
24 July 2025
Noun
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Over the course of his five-Oscar career, Francis Coppola has many times gone back under the hood of even his greatest films like Apocalypse Now and The Conversation, to recut and improve versions for posterity.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
28 July 2025
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Under the hood, the 2001 Prelude featured a standard naturally aspirated 2.2-liter four-cylinder (H22A4 VTEC engine), rated at 200 horsepower and 156 lb-ft of torque, which sent all the power to the front wheels.—
Michael Harley,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gorilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gorilla. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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