as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
London bobbies clearing the streets of hooligans
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hooligan
Some have focused their anger on the community after some of the hooligans who attacked Israelis could be heard in videos of the attacks speaking Moroccan Arabic and Berber languages native to Morocco.
—
Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2024
There were also Amsterdam residents who were attacked by Maccabi hooligans.
—Canaan Lidor, Sun Sentinel, 14 Nov. 2024
Banning orders — whereby passports have to be handed in before any England fixture abroad — have also been used to keep the hooligans away, while the Football Association insist tickets are only sold through the official supporters travel club.
—Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 13 July 2024
Right-wing legislators and nationalist soccer hooligans held a heated demonstration outside the military court near the southern city of Ashkelon.
—Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 8 June 2016
See all Example Sentences for hooligan 
Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2024
There were also Amsterdam residents who were attacked by Maccabi hooligans.
—Canaan Lidor, Sun Sentinel, 14 Nov. 2024
Banning orders — whereby passports have to be handed in before any England fixture abroad — have also been used to keep the hooligans away, while the Football Association insist tickets are only sold through the official supporters travel club.
—Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 13 July 2024
Right-wing legislators and nationalist soccer hooligans held a heated demonstration outside the military court near the southern city of Ashkelon.
—Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 8 June 2016
See all Example Sentences for hooligan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooligan
Noun
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The investigation leads Cole into an ugly world of red-neck thugs and disappeared girls.—
Sandra Dallas,
The Denver Post,
2 Feb. 2025
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How many of you recall the TV image on Jan. 6, 2021, of Officer Daniel Hodges, squashed in a revolving door at the U.S. Capitol, screaming for help as MAGA thugs beat on his head?—
Trudy Rubin,
The Mercury News,
30 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Many citizens have come to believe that for too long, the rights of criminals have trumped the rights of citizens to be safe and free from violence.—
Pioneer Press,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2025
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Mosby, like other progressive prosecutors, bent laws to tilt the scales of justice in favor of criminals in the name of reform.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Three Thai women were rescued after a group of Chinese gangsters enslaved them in the former Soviet republic of Georgia in order to harvest their eggs.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
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Ball of Fire also pairs up a gangster’s moll, Sugarpuss O’Shea (Barbara Stanwyck), and a professor, Bertram Potts (Gary Cooper) who work together trying to take down her mob boss boyfriend, all while falling in love.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
People.com,
10 Feb. 2025
Noun
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This location can be found north of Tachov in the forests beside a bandit camp.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
6 Feb. 2025
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The bandit wheeled and snarled at Herod, exposing his rotting front teeth.—
Louis Menand,
The New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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This shortcoming extends to its assortment of villains who, despite including celebrity appearances like AEW wrestler Samoa Joe, fail to leave a memorable impression beyond being yet another obstacle on the way to the end credits.—
Isaiah Colbert,
Rolling Stone,
18 Feb. 2025
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Ant-Man met a villain named Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania who battled multiple versions of himself from different timelines.—
Eliana Dockterman,
TIME,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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When Jennifer Lawrence isn’t full-frontally beating the bejesus out of insouciant hoodlums, that is.—
Charles Bramesco,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2025
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However, their dreams are threatened by the hoodlums in the Riverbottom Gang.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
30 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Who didn't want to be like those kids going on adventures involving gangsters, pirate ships and best friends?—
Brian Truitt,
USA TODAY,
7 Feb. 2025
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Like a ‘pirate ship’ Goss has done four separate stints as a guardian in London, in an empty police station, a nursing home for the elderly, a student residence hall and, finally, a town hall.—
Anna Cooban,
CNN,
31 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near hooligan
Cite this Entry
“Hooligan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooligan. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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