plural thieves
ˈthēvz 
: one that steals especially stealthily or secretly
also
: one who commits theft or larceny
Examples of thief in a Sentence
A thief took my purse.
a thief has been stealing wallets and valuables from the lockers at the gym
Recent Examples on the Web
In this British-American heist comedy, a group of jewel thieves—including con artist Wanda Gershwitz (Jamie Lee Curtis), her lover Otto West (Kevin Kline), stuttering animal lover Ken Pile (Michael Palin) and gang leader George Thomason (Tom Georgeson)—pull off a major diamond robbery in London.
—
Travis Bean, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Laundry detergent is a top target for thieves, according to the National Retail Federation's 2024 National Retail Security Survey.
—Alayna Alvarez, Axios, 21 Mar. 2025
Cop said that, when confronted by a 48-year-old employee, the thief raised an arm at her in a menacing manner before running out the door.
—Ellen Moynihan, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2025
When alarms sounded in the early hours of September 14, 2019, as thieves ran off with the golden lavatory, staffers searched the museum before realizing it was gone.
—The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thief
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.
Travis Bean, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Laundry detergent is a top target for thieves, according to the National Retail Federation's 2024 National Retail Security Survey.
—Alayna Alvarez, Axios, 21 Mar. 2025
Cop said that, when confronted by a 48-year-old employee, the thief raised an arm at her in a menacing manner before running out the door.
—Ellen Moynihan, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2025
When alarms sounded in the early hours of September 14, 2019, as thieves ran off with the golden lavatory, staffers searched the museum before realizing it was gone.
—The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thief
Cite this Entry
“Thief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thief. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share