as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
the loan shark sent a couple of gorillas to "convince" him to pay up
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Recent Examples of gorilla
Take the gorilla sculpture placed on a side table as an example, or the bright red and orange hues in the bathroom.
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Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 28 Nov. 2024
In happier news, the zoo welcomed several animals through birth or transfers from other zoos, including three Eastern bongos, a critically endangered species, and a silverback gorilla to complete a family unit.
—Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 30 Dec. 2024
Taxonomic classification puts humans in the order Primates (apes, monkeys, and lemurs) and in the family Hominidae (great apes), which, in addition to humans, includes chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024
From black-footed ferrets to Western Lowland gorillas, the Louisville Zoo is often a collaborative partner in efforts to protect endangered species.
—Ray Padilla, The Courier-Journal, 24 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gorilla 
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 28 Nov. 2024
In happier news, the zoo welcomed several animals through birth or transfers from other zoos, including three Eastern bongos, a critically endangered species, and a silverback gorilla to complete a family unit.
—Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 30 Dec. 2024
Taxonomic classification puts humans in the order Primates (apes, monkeys, and lemurs) and in the family Hominidae (great apes), which, in addition to humans, includes chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024
From black-footed ferrets to Western Lowland gorillas, the Louisville Zoo is often a collaborative partner in efforts to protect endangered species.
—Ray Padilla, The Courier-Journal, 24 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gorilla
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gorilla
Noun
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The proximate cause of the war crimes chronicled in Han’s novels is South Korea’s succession of authoritarian governments, their soldiers and police; on Jeju Island, these were joined by gangs of right-wing thugs.Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025
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Like Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Assad will be remembered as a thug who left his country on the brink of state failure.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Also tossed in are picturesque but gratuitous use of famous tourist landmarks as background, near-superheroic training montages, credible intimate character dynamics, a ruthless villain (Johan Heldenbergh as Vanaken) and action that in the home stretch goes absurdly over-the-top.Dennis Harvey, Variety, 13 Jan. 2025
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And though Young and (especially) the perpetrators of the massacre are clearly the villains of the piece, their past history at least partly explains their choices.Keith Phipps, Vulture, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Several warring factions exist within the Zone, as well as lone bandits and stalkers.Issy van der Velde, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024
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Nationwide, charging executives say the issue is more pronounced in urban centers, with particularly consistent problems in Las Vegas, Seattle, and Oakland, California. RELATED: Magid: EV shoppers finally have plenty of choices Many of these cord bandits are on the hunt for copper.Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 24 Sep. 2024
Noun
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His family told the local press that the man responsible for his death was a gangster from a rival group who had been living in exile in South Africa.Matthew Bremner, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2025
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The group’s chairman is John Chan, a former Chinatown gangster convicted of human trafficking and drug smuggling charges in the mid-2000s who has since become influential in New York politics.Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The actor and martial arts master plays Caine, a blind assassin who uses advanced hearing to beat-up bad guys in creative and brutal ways, as well as - what else? - a cane.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
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Having said that, Shinobi already means assassin so the name is a bit redundant.Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Other potential responses focus on the perpetrators rather than the puppeteers, prosecuting the petty criminals who carry out acts of sabotage or, in the Baltic Sea, boarding and impounding the offending vessel, as Finland did recently, and following up with a court case.Tamar Jacoby, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
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In her petition, Conley wrote that deploying CHP officers and Solano County sheriff's deputies to Vallejo could help address crime, serve as a deterrent to potential criminals and provide support to an overworked police force.Louis Casiano, Fox News, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The port quickly became successful, attracting pirates, including the infamous Blackbeard, who used the island’s geography to launch surprise attacks on passing ships.Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 17 Jan. 2025
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In the finale, the kids are able to contact the New Republic to warn them about the pirates, and permanently drop the barrier around the planet, revealing the existence of At Attin for the first time to the rest of the galaxy.Adam B. Vary, Variety, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The moment an unwitting Labrador tried to enter his owner's car through the hood rather than the open door at the back has gone viral, leading to jokes about the breed's IQ.Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
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The gown’s neckline transitioned into a hood that Sánchez delicately placed on her head to show off her new honey-blonde highlights.Charna Flam, People.com, 4 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Gorilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gorilla. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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