as in gang
a group involved in secret or criminal activities
the local Mafia largely finances itself through extortion rackets and drug trafficking
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of Mafia
Levon must pose as a drug dealer and infiltrate himself into this Chicago underworld populated by numerous stereotypical Russian Mafia types led by crime lord Wolo Kolisnyk (Jason Flemyng), and featuring his loose cannon son Dimi (Maximilian Osinski).
—
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2025
Reckless and often liable to go off the handle, Johnny Boy constantly gets himself and the loyal but frustrated Charlie in trouble, which becomes outright deadly when Johnny borrows too much money from Mafia loan sharks.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 24 Mar. 2025
The Alto Knights is titled after a local Mafia social-club hangout, as if suggesting an ode to bygone camaraderie.
—Armond White, National Review, 21 Mar. 2025
So how about De Niro playing not one but two Mafia kingpins in the same movie?
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Mafia
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2025
Reckless and often liable to go off the handle, Johnny Boy constantly gets himself and the loyal but frustrated Charlie in trouble, which becomes outright deadly when Johnny borrows too much money from Mafia loan sharks.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 24 Mar. 2025
The Alto Knights is titled after a local Mafia social-club hangout, as if suggesting an ode to bygone camaraderie.
—Armond White, National Review, 21 Mar. 2025
So how about De Niro playing not one but two Mafia kingpins in the same movie?
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Mafia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Mafia
Noun
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Amid the chaos, police officers and members of the public have been on a hunt for gang members.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2025
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Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is also weighing another case against a Maryland man deported by mistake that could shed light on the fate of more than 100 men accused of being gang members who have already been sent to prison in El Salvador.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The program had been mandated by Congress, yet Homeland Security’s top lawyer was saying it could be investigated under a law reserved for organized crime syndicates.—
J. David McSwane,
ProPublica,
8 Apr. 2025
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During the season, Roscoe and her boss, Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin), team with Reacher to solve the mystery behind the murder of Reacher’s brother and uncover a counterfeiting syndicate involving corrupt local officials.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Lori Vallow Daybell convicted of murder Vallow Daybell was charged in May 2021 with the murders of her children and conspiracy to commit the murder of Tammy Daybell.—
Miguel Torres,
USA Today,
7 Apr. 2025
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Nearly two years after her initial sentencing in Idaho, Lori is now preparing for her trial in Arizona after being charged with one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the 2019 death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow.—
Brenton Blanchet,
People.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Gabriela Jaquez made sure to marinate in this moment, bouncing gleefully toward half-court while her teammates formed a joyous mob.—
Austin Knoblauch,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2025
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In Gilead and real life, when everything is stripped away from a group of people, even their names in the case of the Handmaids, the result is a dangerous mob with nothing to lose.—
Dana Feldman,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This public generational saga goes from ancestral investigation (the Fonda clan migrated from Holland to upstate New York in 1654, then Nebraska, where Henry was born) to cultural exegesis.—
Armond White,
National Review,
4 Apr. 2025
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Members of the Kennedy clan have held positions at nearly every level of government.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Across four days, an array of artists perform live at the city’s vast network of independent venues.—
Thomas Smith,
Billboard,
10 Apr. 2025
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What to know The CNN town hall will air on the network on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mafia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Mafia. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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