as in gangster
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
the Mob boss regularly sent his thugs after people who were slow to pay their debts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of thug
Mayor vows to catch 'thugs who did this' Baton Rouge Mayor Sid Edwards promised that law enforcement will catch the people responsible for the violence at the mall.
—
Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Why shouldn’t Patrick Lynch, Patrick Hendry, Scott Munro and the rest of the NYPD unions defend a stone-cold guilty action by two thugs who’re supposed to protect us?
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
Pinell’s second film after Kiss and Cry, Shana stars her regular collaborator Éva Huault as a woman in her thirties navigating dead-end jobs, drug deals and an impossible relationship with a toxic thug, Moïse.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2026
But the word thug as a term for rogues and thieves lived on in English.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thug
Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Why shouldn’t Patrick Lynch, Patrick Hendry, Scott Munro and the rest of the NYPD unions defend a stone-cold guilty action by two thugs who’re supposed to protect us?
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
Pinell’s second film after Kiss and Cry, Shana stars her regular collaborator Éva Huault as a woman in her thirties navigating dead-end jobs, drug deals and an impossible relationship with a toxic thug, Moïse.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2026
But the word thug as a term for rogues and thieves lived on in English.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thug
Noun
-
The only ones making money on alcohol now were gangsters.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
12 May 2026
-
The gangsters who are running the country almost pride themselves on a lack of subtlety and finesse.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
When unhoused people are treated as criminals, they are pushed into an identity of exclusion rather than belonging.—
Shianne LeClaire,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
-
Set in Gaza in 2007, and following the misadventures of a student (Nader Abd Alhay) and restaurant owner and petty criminal (Majd Eid), the picture premiered in Un Certain Regard last year and won the Best Director prize.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Was that a conscious decision after the controversy surrounding past tweets that made some people see you as a villain during the Emilia Pérez Oscar campaign?—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
Angel Reese has never had a problem embracing the villain role.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
English actress Comer is probably best known for her role as sociopathic assassin Villanelle on BBC America’s Killing Eve, which earned her an Emmy and BAFTA TV Award.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
-
As a refresher, the epic Yellowstone finale saw the Dutton family finally uncover how patriarch John Dutton was killed by an assassin hired by Jamie’s (Wes Bentley) girlfriend.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Deportees from the United States are especially vulnerable to robbery and kidnapping because gangs and bandits assume that their families can pay larger ransoms.—
Caitlin Dickerson,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
-
Joined by her hapless but loyal classmate Curtis Mehlberg (Jacob Tremblay), Prue navigates a world of talking animals, bandits, and powerful figures driven by grief and ambition.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
PragueReuters — An unknown thief snatched an 800-year-old skull believed to be of Saint Zdislava of Lemberk from a display box in a church in the northern Czech Republic and ran away with the relic, police said on Wednesday.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
-
This adjustable sling bag has plenty of space for your phone, cash, keys, and other daily essentials, and is constructed with locking zippers to ward off potential thieves.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
In the past decade, the leadership of the Kinahan organization has become rich and cosmopolitan, and their life styles have started to resemble those of international businessmen more than of street hoodlums.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The Knesset recently legalized the death penalty for Arabs who murder Jews, but not for the hoodlum Israeli settlers who have been killing West Bank residents to seize their land.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Over the past quarter-century, the UKMTO has dealt with other shipping crises too, as when Somali pirates were most active during the late 2000s or Houthi rebels in Yemen intensified their attacks on vessels passing through the Red Sea in 2023.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
17 May 2026
-
Because it’s located on the beach, kids have access to the sand and sun, and there’s a pirate-ship style play area outside.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thug. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
