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
  • 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
  • Police say the robbers took $50 from one of the chicken stand workers, and $60 from the other.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of robbers
Verb
  • First inning, Shohei Ohtani walks, steals second, jogs to third on a single by Freddie Freeman, scores on a grounder by Mookie Betts.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The meat is front and center, but mingling a toston or a spoonful of rice in the pork juices with the salsa verde steals the show.
    — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of steals
Noun
  • After making off with the paintings, initial reports of the robbery came from local passersby who saw the fleeing burglars—not the museum’s workers.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The would-be burglars targeted a home in Pasadena, California.
    — Abigail Velez, ABC News, 17 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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