as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
London bobbies clearing the streets of hooligans
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hooligan
Listen to this article Two headphone-snatching hooligans are being sought for robbing seven people in a weeklong spree in lower Manhattan and Staten Island, police said Thursday.
—
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 2025
These hooligans have been depicted and glamourised in cult British films Green Street and The Football Factory.
—Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
After desecrating a sacred temple, some hooligans must face the supernatural consequences of their hate crime.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2025
Even hooligans were amenable to police dialogue.
—Alfredo Sosa, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hooligan
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 2025
These hooligans have been depicted and glamourised in cult British films Green Street and The Football Factory.
—Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
After desecrating a sacred temple, some hooligans must face the supernatural consequences of their hate crime.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2025
Even hooligans were amenable to police dialogue.
—Alfredo Sosa, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hooligan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooligan
Noun
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Letterman may be the obvious precedent but Mulaney’s delivery is less snide than lightly panicked, as if some Netflix thugs have their hands on a switch off-camera, eager to cut to black.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2025
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The Depardieu shtick — his public persona as a crude, working-class thug — was on full display.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Reckless sanctuary city policies create a sanctuary for one class — criminals.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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It is tasked with a broad range of actions — hunting fugitives, transporting federal prisoners and managing goods seized from criminals.—
Faith E. Pinho,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The infamous gangster, who had set up shop in Cicero, quickly became a prime suspect but initially was nowhere to be found.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2025
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Before long, top officials started calling him an MS-13 gangster and a terrorist, even though he’s never been convicted of a crime.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The caps proved popular with dockworkers, shipwrights and bandits, and, over time, the baker boy hat became synonymous with the newsboy cap (which was actually worn by boys working at newsstands).—
Rosa Rahimi,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
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Security cameras at the church captured images of the bandit, who appears to be an older white woman.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Children meet superheroes and villains, engage with games and movies, and are greeted by staff in costume.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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The soul patch, villain, and walrus facial hair all work with masks while mutton chops and chin curtain don’t.—
Lisa Wood Shapiro,
Wired News,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The gang specialized in hijacking cars and guarding bootleg liquor shipments for other hoodlums during the Prohibition era.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2025
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True, black leather jackets have become a symbol for hoodlum cycle jockeys, but remember: Good guys wear 'em, too, including policemen.—
Aurora Sousanis,
Detroit Free Press,
5 June 2024
Noun
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When there was nothing left to rob, the pirates often resorted to killing.—
Lauren Vuong,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2025
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At that point, someone had a solid-gold epiphany: What if the priceless treasures of Blackbeard, Captain Kidd and their pirate peers lay buried beneath the soil, just waiting for the right shovel?—
Greg Daugherty,
Smithsonian Magazine,
15 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hooligan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooligan. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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