as in nemesis
one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense the danger of these self-appointed vigilantes is that they sometimes go after innocent people

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Recent Examples of vigilante White vigilantes — including Mayor Jacob Weisbach and other local political leaders — forcibly expelled all of Tacoma's Chinese residents, this time putting them on a train instead of boats. Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 26 Nov. 2024 Beyond the typical notion of being focused on crime or about vigilante citizens roving the streets, block watches give residents the power to prioritize issues, Whitaker said. David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 3 Dec. 2024 Working from a script by Scott Silver, Phillips hedges his bet by recycling: Joaquin Phoenix refines his Oscar-winning turn as psychotic urban vigilante/revenge killer Arthur Fleck, this time revealing his insanity through pop songs. Armond White, National Review, 29 Nov. 2024 And, within about 48 hours, local vigilantes rounded up Chinese residents — hundreds of people — forced them onto steamships bound for San Francisco and told them to never return again. Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 26 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for vigilante 

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“Vigilante.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vigilante. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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