as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
London bobbies clearing the streets of hooligans
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Recent Examples of hooligan
Right-wing legislators and nationalist soccer hooligans held a heated demonstration outside the military court near the southern city of Ashkelon.
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Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 8 June 2016
Ticking off the Traction Control also allowed my inner hooligan to loft the front wheel a wee bit in first and second gear as the Kawasaki quickly built revs.
—William Roberson, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024
Gatherings of white men in particular have historically cultivated an ominous vibe: think the Unite the Right rally, many European land wars, English football hooligans, or Congress.
—Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 30 July 2024
The 1989 Hillsborough disaster, Britain's deadliest sports tragedy, sparked a rush to judgment: football hooligans, the scourge of English sports in the 1980s, were blamed.
—Joshua Dupuy, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hooligan 
Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 8 June 2016
Ticking off the Traction Control also allowed my inner hooligan to loft the front wheel a wee bit in first and second gear as the Kawasaki quickly built revs.
—William Roberson, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024
Gatherings of white men in particular have historically cultivated an ominous vibe: think the Unite the Right rally, many European land wars, English football hooligans, or Congress.
—Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 30 July 2024
The 1989 Hillsborough disaster, Britain's deadliest sports tragedy, sparked a rush to judgment: football hooligans, the scourge of English sports in the 1980s, were blamed.
—Joshua Dupuy, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hooligan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hooligan
Noun
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Long maintaining that the protesters are just thugs, Najmeh painfully removes the rounds from Sadaf’s bleeding wounds, her assumptions about the government she’s loyally obeyed falling away.Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024
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The society of Iverson’s youth rendered him an unredeemable thug and jailed him for it as a minor.Marcus Thompson II, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The film focuses on young Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) — who's accidentally left home alone over the holidays — and his clever plans to outwit a pair of criminals trying to rob his home on Christmas Eve.Athena Sobhan, People.com, 8 Dec. 2024
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Trump has said deportations will focus on criminals first, as immigration enforcement has since former President Barack Obama's presidency.Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, 8 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Rolling with the sound of Slo-Be Bryant 3, one of the great West Coast tapes of the 2020s, Slo-Be’s steely, ominous murmurs give his sentimental gangster rap the air of sorcery.Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 9 Dec. 2024
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However, as the volatile gangster, the caregiver and bumbling daddy’s boy begin to plot and scheme, things don’t exactly go according to plan.Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Guided by Kudrow’s Penelope, the bandits embarked on epic adventures while evil forces were an obstacle.Marc Berman, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024
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The bagel at the base of her breakfast bandit has a direct connection to her youth: The dough is prepared daily at A&S Bagels in Franklin Square, N.Y., not far from the streets where Chersevani developed a taste for a bagel and schmear.Tim Carman, Washington Post, 25 July 2024
Noun
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Or even an appearance from Tom Holland’s Peter Parker that would mean two hours haven’t been wasted watching this forgettable origin tale of a villain who’s not really THAT bad.Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
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The news comes a couple days after Variety reported that a film about the Batman villain was coming down the pike.Bethy Squires, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
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However, their dreams are threatened by the hoodlums in the Riverbottom Gang.EW.com, EW.com, 30 Nov. 2024
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While Muhammad Ali made his professional boxing comeback with a win against Jerry Quarry at Atlanta’s Municipal Auditorium on October 26, 1970, a group of hoodlums robbed the Black Mafia of more than $1 million in cash and jewelry at a nearby after-party.Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2024
Noun
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This small doohickey works with Amazon Key In-Garage Delivery, an exclusive Prime member benefit that protects your packages from porch pirates and increment weather.Marc Saltzman, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024
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Zoom out: Also beware of virtual porch pirates, as one in five delivery package scam attempts starts via text message or messaging apps like WhatsApp or iMessage.Carrie Shepherd, Axios, 12 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near hooligan
Cite this Entry
“Hooligan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hooligan. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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