as in great
of the very best kind
that's a bully idea for reviving the town's retail center
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in intimidator
a person who teases, threatens, or hurts smaller, weaker, or more vulnerable persons
the school has a procedure for students who want to report problems with bullies
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
the local loan shark and his bullies have ways of making people pay up
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to abuse
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
the kindergarten teacher explained why it was wrong to bully classmates
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to intimidate
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
the manager was fired for bullying employees
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of bully
Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2025
Bruno appears to be a bully who doesn’t have Tenoch’s best interests at heart, and the rules of storytelling suggest that Julian will regret using this case to punish his soon-to-be ex-wife.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2025
Law Were you harassed, bullied while working for a federal judge?
—Carrie Johnson, NPR, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bully
Noun
Staying silent is no way to deal with a bully like Trump, as so many children have learned in so many schoolyards.
—Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2025
Bruno appears to be a bully who doesn’t have Tenoch’s best interests at heart, and the rules of storytelling suggest that Julian will regret using this case to punish his soon-to-be ex-wife.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
Verb
We won’t be bullied or intimidated by frivolous cases.
—Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2025
Law Were you harassed, bullied while working for a federal judge?
—Carrie Johnson, NPR, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bully
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bully
Adjective
-
By Nellie Bowles March 31, 2020 Get Outside and Safely Visit a National Park Now is the time to start looking ahead, to spring and summer excursions in the great outdoors.—
Aatish Bhatia,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2025
-
Although Seattle’s skill talent has been great, Smith has never played behind even an average offensive line, and his last two offensive coordinators weren’t good enough to keep their jobs.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
The Athletic,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The 20th-century Yellowstone Dutton Ranch is under siege from a greedy developer (James Bond star Timothy Dalton) and his thugs in the new season.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA TODAY,
24 Feb. 2025
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But authorities now believe the most heinous acts were the handiwork of a one-time nursing student from Puerto Rico who evolved over a decade from teenage burglar to drug trafficker to rampaging thug.—
Martin E. Comas,
Orlando Sentinel,
30 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Other interview subjects said Prince was abused himself as a child and could be controlling or emotionally manipulative.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
4 Mar. 2025
-
Her defense attorney, Jose Baez, dropped the bombshell accusation that Casey had been abused by her father, implying that this explained her string of lies and her willingness to protect him.—
Aja Romano,
Vox,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Trump files spurious lawsuits to force his targets to defend themselves financially and legally and intimidate others from crossing him — or to surrender and settle, as ABC News did.—
Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards,
Orlando Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2025
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Trying to circumvent that process by removing or intimidating a judge – with violence or with impeachment – could endanger both judges and their families, and American democracy, experts and legal scholars say.—
Henry Gass,
The Christian Science Monitor,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In less than 25 minutes, Jarrett provided a terrific start to what the Bears could market as a fun tear-off calendar of one-a-day Gradyisms.—
Dan Wiederer,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2025
-
There's Connie Britton...Dan [Stevens] was terrific.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The idea that the most dangerous threats aren't always foreign enemies but those operating within one's own ranks mirrors real-world concerns about internal security breaches and shifting allegiances.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
-
The establishment is the enemy; the professors are the enemy.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In Lynch’s festering neo-noir mystery from 1987, Hopper plays a chronic villain perpetually sipping from a tank of amyl nitrate and handing out hits as a way to manipulate his henchmen.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
14 Mar. 2025
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Quinn is such a mustache-twirling villain throughout that his interactions with Reacher feel overly cartoonish.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Surasak said they weren’t mistreated, and were fed pita bread and cheese, with a portion of meat once a week.—
Kocha Olarn,
CNN,
21 Feb. 2025
-
During the first Trump administration in 2018, immigration and federal prison officials struck an agreement for 1,600 beds, according to the AP — an arrangement that led to allegations some detainees were mistreated.—
Brittany Gibson,
Axios,
8 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bully. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
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