as in nemesis
one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense
the danger of these self-appointed vigilantes is that they sometimes go after innocent people
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Recent Examples of vigilante
The lead character, Jack Reacher, is a former military policeman who solves crimes as a vigilante.
—
Austin Mullen, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
Some people have lionized Mangione as a sort of vigilante hero.
—CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Cox and D'Onofrio know the dynamic inside and out after playing their respective roles of Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who moonlights as the vigilante Daredevil, and Wilson Fisk, a crime boss known as Kingpin, since the original Netflix show premiered in 2015.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
But vigilante movements in Mexico historically get co-opted by rival cartels or massacred, creating a dangerous spiral that could worsen after recent cartel leadership deaths.
—Megan Janetsky, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vigilante
Austin Mullen, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
Some people have lionized Mangione as a sort of vigilante hero.
—CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Cox and D'Onofrio know the dynamic inside and out after playing their respective roles of Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who moonlights as the vigilante Daredevil, and Wilson Fisk, a crime boss known as Kingpin, since the original Netflix show premiered in 2015.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
But vigilante movements in Mexico historically get co-opted by rival cartels or massacred, creating a dangerous spiral that could worsen after recent cartel leadership deaths.
—Megan Janetsky, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vigilante
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vigilante
Noun
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The game saw Mario once again saving a damsel (Princess Peach, then called Toadstool) from his nemesis, Bowser (née King Koopa), which would remain his motivation for countless sequels for decades.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Yet its nemesis is always within reach.—
Shai Tubali,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But as all the world knows, Edmond Dantès did rise again, transformed from an innocent young sailor into that courtly yet implacable avenger, the Count of Monte Cristo.—
Michael Dirda,
The New York Review of Books,
19 Mar. 2026
-
And it was signed, black dahlia avenger.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Montgomery has barely been in the big leagues for two months but has already put his name alongside a couple of franchise icons (and another hard-core punisher of baseballs).—
Phil Rogers,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vigilante.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vigilante. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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