thieves 1 of 2

noun

plural of thief
as in robbers
one who steals a thief has been stealing wallets and valuables from the lockers at the gym

Synonyms & Similar Words

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thieves

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of thieve
as in steals
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep someone's been thieving my cookies!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of thieves
Noun
For more than a week, there wasn’t much news or fanfare that thieves stole more than 40,000 pounds of Milwaukee-founded Pabst Blue Ribbon, or PBR, beer from a Montclair distribution center. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026 In September 2025, thieves snatched three porcelain works worth millions of dollars and classed as national treasures in a heist at the Adrien Dubouche National Museum in Limoges in central France. — CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026 One of the thieves wore all black clothing and a helmet, while the other sported a dark shirt and blue jeans, cops said. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026 The thieves wore no disguises or face coverings according to a report by Vienna’s police department. — News Desk, Artforum, 28 Aug. 2026 In October 2025, thieves broke into the museum’s Galerie d’Apollon and made off with eight pieces of the French crown jewels, including jewelry associated with Empress Eugénie and Queen Marie-Amélie. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The footage showed two of the thieves working in tandem to push a cart loaded with mail to their SUV, where an accomplice driver helped load the tubs of letters and packages into their vehicle. — Luke Barr, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026 In August 2024, thieves raided a Union Pacific train stopped on Chicago’s West Side, taking TVs and other electronics and loading them into waiting vehicles even after overmatched police arrived. — Kiel Porter, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026 In this particular instance, the thieves had swapped out two RTX 5080 GPUs for a pair of RTX 3060 cards. — Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 17 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thieves
  1. robbers
  2. steals
  3. burglars
  4. swipes
Noun
  • Preliminary explorations indicate these burials were looted in antiquity; passages linking them are thought to have been made by ancient robbers moving between the tombs.
    — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The robbers have ordered the victims to unlock their cellphones, and have fled on foot after taking the phones.
    — Dylan Olsen, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of robbers
Verb
  • Jealousy and entitlement steer the actions of middling white writer June Hayward, who brazenly steals the manuscript of her much more talented friend, Chinese-American author, Athena Liu, after being the sole witness to Athena’s death.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
  • And, if the wins keep piling up, San Dimas might need to put a fence around his classroom so no one steals him away.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of steals
Noun
  • Last month, burglars stole millions of dollars worth of jewelry from the museum of French luxury glassmaker Lalique in a daring early morning raid.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The Gables home’s security systems, which the burglars took with them, have also been recovered.
    — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of burglars
Verb
  • When someone swipes a card, the device can capture account information and the PIN used during the transaction.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Shields' younger daughter inherited her love of fashion and regularly swipes designer pieces from her closet.
    — Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026
Definition of swipes

Browse Nearby Words

thievery
thieves
thieving
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Cite this Entry

“Thieves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thieves. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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