as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
a gang of ruffians preying upon people who ventured into that section of town
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruffian
When both young people meet their end the Baron saves Christina by putting Hans’ brain in Christina’s body, uniting their blurred identities in a joint thirst for revenge, creating a Gothic avenger who hunts down the aristocratic ruffians who ruined their happiness.
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Rory Doherty,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
Friends and neighbors worried that these rumors could attract dangerous young ruffians who might harm them and steal the money.
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Mara Bovsun,
New York Daily News,
15 Dec. 2024
Then again, the fight scene did that on its own, sounding more refined than ruffian.
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Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Sep. 2024
Troy Stecher is a puck-mover with some two-way ability but is not considered a ruffian in the corners and in front of the net.
—
Allan Mitchell,
The Athletic,
9 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ruffian
Rory Doherty,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
Friends and neighbors worried that these rumors could attract dangerous young ruffians who might harm them and steal the money.
—
Mara Bovsun,
New York Daily News,
15 Dec. 2024
Then again, the fight scene did that on its own, sounding more refined than ruffian.
—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Sep. 2024
Troy Stecher is a puck-mover with some two-way ability but is not considered a ruffian in the corners and in front of the net.
—
Allan Mitchell,
The Athletic,
9 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ruffian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruffian
Noun
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Alyssa Thomas' thug-like play, punching Caitlin Clark in the throat and kneeing her in the groin, is indefensible.
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Ditto Hugh Jackman’s unerring performance — perhaps his finest dramatic work yet — as a savage, unfeeling thug and unrepentant murderer and thief.
Noun
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There are probably easier ways to mount a crime thriller steeped in gritty realism than centering it on a villain made of gas.
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That doesn’t mean Netherlands players are villains, or anything less than heroes for their country.
Noun
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Data that appears to be compliance information to a regulator can appear to be a target list to a criminal.
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The Colorado attorney general oversees more than 700 attorneys and staff and manages legal manners spanning consumer protection, civil rights, criminal, water, constitutional and environmental law.
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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One of the first films of its kind, this lesbian gangster heist thriller delivers suspense and humor.
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The 16 reputed gangsters or aspiring gangsters charged in the indictment range in age from 19 to 24.
Noun
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The age of sail, when pirates like Johnny Depp’s fictional Jack Sparrow roamed the seven seas, ended about 200 years ago.
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Eight pages later, Leucippe has to fake her own beheading to escape from pirates.
Noun
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These artisans, with their trade secrets, were kept on Murano, a cluster of islands just across the lagoon from the city, ostensibly as a precaution against fire, though the state would also send assassins after anyone who tried to leave.
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As a pirate assassin and post-apocalyptic warrior, Krem of the Yellow Hills connects with Aries.
Noun
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John Krasinski stars as a jet-setting art thief who steals priceless paintings to help uncover clues as to the whereabouts of the fabled Fountain of Youth.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Ruffian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruffian. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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