as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
a gang of ruffians preying upon people who ventured into that section of town
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruffian
Then again, the fight scene did that on its own, sounding more refined than ruffian.
—
Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2024
Troy Stecher is a puck-mover with some two-way ability but is not considered a ruffian in the corners and in front of the net.
—Allan Mitchell, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024
And then there was Post Malone, the rapping, rocking everyman who has replaced Kid Rock as America’s favorite ruffian.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2024
Read More: Fans React to Beyoncé's New Album Cowboy Carter
Once seen as ruffians and pushed to the outskirts of Victorian society, cowboys were reinvented as rugged cultural heroes in the American consciousness in the early 20th century through dime novels, rodeos, movies, and more.
—TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ruffian
Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2024
Troy Stecher is a puck-mover with some two-way ability but is not considered a ruffian in the corners and in front of the net.
—Allan Mitchell, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024
And then there was Post Malone, the rapping, rocking everyman who has replaced Kid Rock as America’s favorite ruffian.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2024
Read More: Fans React to Beyoncé's New Album Cowboy Carter
Once seen as ruffians and pushed to the outskirts of Victorian society, cowboys were reinvented as rugged cultural heroes in the American consciousness in the early 20th century through dime novels, rodeos, movies, and more.
—TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ruffian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruffian
Noun
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Suddenly Odin gets a call telling him Korps leader Attila (Eili Harboe) and her thugs are on their way to finish the job.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2026
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The new Homeland Security person needs to unmask the thugs causing harm to families and innocent children.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Then there’s Haim, so full of venom and vitriol, who depending on one’s perspective is low-key the hero or villain of the film.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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Javier Bardem’s Oscar-winning performance as Anton Chigurh in the Coen brothers’ No Country for Old Men remains an iconic villain turn 20 years later.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Cyber criminals linked to Iran have accessed FBI Director Kash Patel's personal email account, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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That convenience also gives criminals a perfect disguise.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Set against mountainous landscapes and rural lakes, the story follows a wandering swordsman who is falsely accused of stealing a shipment of gold and must unravel a web of intrigue involving bandits, palace guards and corrupt officials while attempting to clear his name.—
Lin Ying-Hsuan,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
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Alongside attacks by bandits, Nigeria is also plagued by an insurgency fought by the Boko Haram extremist group and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The single arrived alongside a music directed by Luis De Pena and Yaslynn Rivera, which pays homage to classic West Coast gangster films.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
27 Mar. 2026
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They get captured by Hungarian gangsters and have to fight (and kill) their way out of an inn run by a shady former dance prodigy (Uma Thurman).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Tim Brinkhof The Past Julius Caesar was once captured by pirates.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
25 Mar. 2026
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The Orlando Boat Show also features a trout pond for young visitors, performances from Twiggy the Waterskiing Squirrel, a pirate magician and mermaid stilt walkers.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Lillian Cross, a doctor’s wife, ended up standing near the would-be assassin.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
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She’s also consumed by vengeful rage, much of it directed at the unstable assassin Bullseye (Wilson Bethel).—
Bob Strauss,
Houston Chronicle,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Karen Piper Mitchell, a deputy state’s attorney, said witnesses in the car told authorities the argument was over a gun that a friend of Wells had stolen from Webber, and that Webber was upset Wells was still friends with the thief.—
Brian Witte,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
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Karen Piper Mitchell, a deputy state's attorney, said witnesses in the car told authorities the argument was over a gun that a friend of Wells had stolen from Webber, and that Webber was upset Wells was still friends with the thief.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruffian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruffian. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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