as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
a couple of hoodlums held up the convenience store
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hoodlum
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
The Chicago Crime Commission’s president was outraged when an Indiana prosecutor posed for a newspaper photographer with his arm around Dillinger earlier in 1934 while the hoodlum awaited trial for killing a police officer during a bank robbery.
—Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 21 July 2024
As Velma Davis, she and scene partner Gene Wilder, in his big screen debut, portrayed two young lovebirds who, while kissing on their front porch, notice that a group of hoodlums is stealing Eugene’s car.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 20 June 2024
Critics refer to the kids who covered the iconic Beaux Arts-style building as vandals and hoodlums.
—Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press, 7 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for hoodlum
Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2024
The Chicago Crime Commission’s president was outraged when an Indiana prosecutor posed for a newspaper photographer with his arm around Dillinger earlier in 1934 while the hoodlum awaited trial for killing a police officer during a bank robbery.
—Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 21 July 2024
As Velma Davis, she and scene partner Gene Wilder, in his big screen debut, portrayed two young lovebirds who, while kissing on their front porch, notice that a group of hoodlums is stealing Eugene’s car.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 20 June 2024
Critics refer to the kids who covered the iconic Beaux Arts-style building as vandals and hoodlums.
—Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press, 7 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for hoodlum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoodlum
Noun
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Jesse, understandably, has become more defensive about antisemitism since he was brutally attacked by thugs who singled him out for being Jewish.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2025
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The hundreds of attacks being made by Houthi, the sinister mobsters and thugs based in Yemen, who are hated by the Yemeni people, all emanate from, and are created by, IRAN.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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An hour ago, the stocky British actor best known on these shores for playing tough guys and gangsters was on a morning talk show, after having chatted with Jimmy Fallon the previous evening.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
22 Mar. 2025
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Dealing with the fractious relationship between gangsters and former friends Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, the film strains for an epic quality that the filmmaking doesn’t support.—
Frank Scheck,
The Hollywood Reporter,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The film follows an American student (Seberg) in Paris who loves a dangerous criminal (Belmondo) obsessed with Humphrey Bogart.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
20 Mar. 2025
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There were radicals, activists, intellectuals as well as common criminals, the usual power brokers, and always a mob lurking in the background.—
Phil Terrana,
Baltimore Sun,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Majors also played the mega villain He Who Remains in Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaia.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2025
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As previously announced, Robert Downey Jr. will be back as the villain Doctor Doom instead of Iron Man.—
Michaela Zee,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, the prince has his own group of seven bandits, in which people with dwarfism are represented.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
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After the kiss in Snow White, the princess emerges from what was supposed to be her eternal slumber to enlist the seven dwarfs, as well as Jonathan and his fellow bandits to lead an uprising to take down the Evil Queen.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hoodlum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoodlum. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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