as in gang
a group involved in secret or criminal activities
the local Mafia largely finances itself through extortion rackets and drug trafficking
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of Mafia
Advertisement 9 For Subscribers The Mexican Mafia Tapes: Secret recordings reveal greed, betrayal — and a deal with the feds
Sept. 4, 2024
Facing a life sentence for extortion, Ralph Rocha turned on the Mexican Mafia and wore a wire for two years.
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Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Access all areas with Canada in Suriname: Traveling with Marsch, team meetings and playing Mafia
By Joshua Kloke | November 19
When Canada traveled to Suriname for a November friendly, The Athletic was granted unrestricted access on planes, in meetings and at pitchside.
—Emily Olsen, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
Jelly Roll and Treaty Oak Revival kick off the festivities Wednesday, followed by Luke Bryan and Nate Smith, Nickelback and Josh Ross, and Swedish House Mafia with GORDO headlining the final concert.
—Candace Oehler, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
Morrone plays Massimo Torricelli in the Netflix Italian movie 365 Days, a member of the Sicilian Mafia family.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for Mafia 
Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Access all areas with Canada in Suriname: Traveling with Marsch, team meetings and playing Mafia
By Joshua Kloke | November 19
When Canada traveled to Suriname for a November friendly, The Athletic was granted unrestricted access on planes, in meetings and at pitchside.
—Emily Olsen, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
Jelly Roll and Treaty Oak Revival kick off the festivities Wednesday, followed by Luke Bryan and Nate Smith, Nickelback and Josh Ross, and Swedish House Mafia with GORDO headlining the final concert.
—Candace Oehler, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
Morrone plays Massimo Torricelli in the Netflix Italian movie 365 Days, a member of the Sicilian Mafia family.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for Mafia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Mafia
Noun
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Against a backdrop of violent tensions between Egyptians and various African nationalities, Aisha’s situation turns sour after a local gang offers her protection in exchange for a favor.Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 1 Jan. 2025
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For more than 60 years, this gang terrorized a population.Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Helen is a member of a private spy syndicate called the Black Doves, operated by an elegant woman known only as Mrs. Reed (Sarah Lancashire).Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
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Now much more successful, Jack is involved in a world that’s scarier than any gambling syndicate, which leads Ryan to a desperate decision that has him in over his head.Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024
Noun
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This time around, there is no multi-party conspiracy, no confusing mechanisms of payments, and no allegations of welching boosters.Joe Sabin, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
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The nearly three-hour podcast was a perfect storm of virality: comedy, conspiracy, and searing insult, leaving the internet in tatters.Rob Marriott, VIBE.com, 30 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Biden’s remarks were published on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot, when a mob of Donald Trump supporters staged an assault at the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 election.Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
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Vice President Mike Pence eluded a mob shouting that he should be hanged.Dan Barry, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Colonna’s film is set in the 1990s, which in real life was a crucial period of upheaval for the island’s social, political and economic prospects, with clan wars on the rise.Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 1 Jan. 2025
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Each clan of sperm whales uses its own set of clicking sounds to communicate.The Atlantic Science Desk, The Atlantic, 28 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Wednesday is also a big night for the network, as the new Tim Allen/Kat Dennings comedy, Shifting Gears, premieres.Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 5 Jan. 2025
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From the high-level business perspective, this means looking to monitor their networks for suspicious activity constantly.Davey Winder, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near Mafia
Cite this Entry
“Mafia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Mafia. Accessed 14 Jan. 2025.
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