as in criminals
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 thugs
The forces involved in this deadly crackdown include the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), its Basij thugs and various divisions of Iran’s security forces.
—
Hamid Kashani, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
When three murderous thugs attempt to reclaim the contraband from Susan, a nightmarish scenario unfolds during the two-hour stage story.
—Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
And then there is the most recent Minneapolis murder of Alex Pretti, the ICU nurse in the VA Hospital shot multiple times by federal officers looking more like thugs than law enforcement.
—James D. Zirin, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
The active theory was that the assailants were career burglars or career thugs or worse.
—Scott Eden, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
Minnesotans, not the armed thugs of ICE and the Border Patrol, are brave.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
Actively inserting yourself into and attempting to stymie federal law enforcement or barging into a church, as some of these thugs did in Minneapolis, is hindering law enforcement and trespassing, respectively.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
In this black comedy adapted from the graphic novel, when a bunch of thugs come to her door demanding that Paige’s grandfather (Liam Neeson) help them out with a bank heist, Paige decides to rescue him by doing it herself, with her friends.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Although the film became a template for white revenge fantasies, its street thugs are assembled with almost comic care to avoid racial bias.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Hamid Kashani, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
When three murderous thugs attempt to reclaim the contraband from Susan, a nightmarish scenario unfolds during the two-hour stage story.
—Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
And then there is the most recent Minneapolis murder of Alex Pretti, the ICU nurse in the VA Hospital shot multiple times by federal officers looking more like thugs than law enforcement.
—James D. Zirin, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
The active theory was that the assailants were career burglars or career thugs or worse.
—Scott Eden, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
Minnesotans, not the armed thugs of ICE and the Border Patrol, are brave.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
Actively inserting yourself into and attempting to stymie federal law enforcement or barging into a church, as some of these thugs did in Minneapolis, is hindering law enforcement and trespassing, respectively.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
In this black comedy adapted from the graphic novel, when a bunch of thugs come to her door demanding that Paige’s grandfather (Liam Neeson) help them out with a bank heist, Paige decides to rescue him by doing it herself, with her friends.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Although the film became a template for white revenge fantasies, its street thugs are assembled with almost comic care to avoid racial bias.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thugs
Noun
-
Violence is widespread in the city proper, with large encampments where meth and other drugs are readily available and criminals reportedly exploit the city’s free bus system to carry out offenses.—
Michael Ruiz , Adriana James-Rodil,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Godwin is well known in the space, having assisted law enforcement nationwide leading to the removal of hundreds of criminals from the streets.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In the film, the twins return from Chicago in the early 1930s, which inspired Carter to turn to photos of Chicago gangsters from the era.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Ryan Gosling plays an American expat in Bangkok who gets in over his head with some local gangsters.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Head coach Patty Gasso and her bunch remain the biggest villains in the Texas softball universe.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Feb. 2026
-
As the Masters of the Universe makes its way to the big screen, one of Saturday morning cartoons’ most iconic villains is getting the cinematic treatment.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The bandits are those who help themselves and cause others a loss.—
Jonny Thomson,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The West African nation has been fighting an insurgency for more than a decade, with Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State of West Africa Province, in addition to several amorphous groups commonly referred to as bandits.—
Pelumi Salako,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
After diplomatic negotiations, the Iranian state called off its assassins in 1998.—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
One week later, on May 15, assassins forced Valdez, 50, from his car at midday and shot him at least a dozen times in downtown Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa state.—
Foreign Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The first pictures McCullin took were of hoodlums and down-and-outs, subjects that reflected his own hardscrabble background.—
Andrew Pulver,
Air Mail,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Aleah and Grasso end up saving Lizzie’s ass and capturing the hoodlums.—
Grace Byron,
Vulture,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Long-haul and overnight flights, for example, give thieves ample time and opportunity to peruse through suitcases and personal item bags while passengers are asleep, says Figgins.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The music video interposes clips of a nation on fire—thieves and looters running rampant, protesters spitting in cops’ faces—with footage of Aldean and his band playing in front of a courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, vowing to deliver justice.—
Mitch Therieau,
New Yorker,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
You’re surrounded by cartoon obstacles, fake pirates and a giant dinosaur — all metaphors that don’t require explanation.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The duo wore Patriots jerseys and hats, one a fluffy American flag design, and the other a hybrid between a pirates hat and a football.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thugs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thugs. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
