as in gang
a group involved in secret or criminal activities
the local Mafia largely finances itself through extortion rackets and drug trafficking
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of Mafia
Advertisement 9 For Subscribers The Mexican Mafia Tapes: Secret recordings reveal greed, betrayal — and a deal with the feds
Sept. 4, 2024
Facing a life sentence for extortion, Ralph Rocha turned on the Mexican Mafia and wore a wire for two years.
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Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Access all areas with Canada in Suriname: Traveling with Marsch, team meetings and playing Mafia
By Joshua Kloke | November 19
When Canada traveled to Suriname for a November friendly, The Athletic was granted unrestricted access on planes, in meetings and at pitchside.
—Emily Olsen, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
Jelly Roll and Treaty Oak Revival kick off the festivities Wednesday, followed by Luke Bryan and Nate Smith, Nickelback and Josh Ross, and Swedish House Mafia with GORDO headlining the final concert.
—Candace Oehler, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
Morrone plays Massimo Torricelli in the Netflix Italian movie 365 Days, a member of the Sicilian Mafia family.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for Mafia 
Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Access all areas with Canada in Suriname: Traveling with Marsch, team meetings and playing Mafia
By Joshua Kloke | November 19
When Canada traveled to Suriname for a November friendly, The Athletic was granted unrestricted access on planes, in meetings and at pitchside.
—Emily Olsen, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
Jelly Roll and Treaty Oak Revival kick off the festivities Wednesday, followed by Luke Bryan and Nate Smith, Nickelback and Josh Ross, and Swedish House Mafia with GORDO headlining the final concert.
—Candace Oehler, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
Morrone plays Massimo Torricelli in the Netflix Italian movie 365 Days, a member of the Sicilian Mafia family.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for Mafia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Mafia
Noun
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For homicides, the biggest category is made up of individuals with previous violent criminal records, often associated with gangs, killing other criminals or members of gangs—or people who happen to be present during those shootings.John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
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Anyone who shares a lot online could be providing those crucial details to cybercriminals but also the type of gangs who are engaging in these physical break-ins.Peter Suciu, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Helen is a member of a private spy syndicate called the Black Doves, operated by an elegant woman known only as Mrs. Reed (Sarah Lancashire).Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
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Now much more successful, Jack is involved in a world that’s scarier than any gambling syndicate, which leads Ryan to a desperate decision that has him in over his head.Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Leaders of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys extremist groups were convicted of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors described as plots to use violence to stop the peaceful transfer of power from Trump, the Republican incumbent, to Biden.DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS, arkansasonline.com, 13 Jan. 2025
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The Baldoni team is heightening a sense of conspiracy around the situation, during a period in which trust in mainstream organizations like the Times has eroded.Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Biden’s remarks were published on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot, when a mob of Donald Trump supporters staged an assault at the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 election.Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
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Vice President Mike Pence eluded a mob shouting that he should be hanged.Dan Barry, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Colonna’s film is set in the 1990s, which in real life was a crucial period of upheaval for the island’s social, political and economic prospects, with clan wars on the rise.Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 1 Jan. 2025
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Each clan of sperm whales uses its own set of clicking sounds to communicate.The Atlantic Science Desk, The Atlantic, 28 Dec. 2024
Noun
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From the high-level business perspective, this means looking to monitor their networks for suspicious activity constantly.Davey Winder, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
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Wednesday is also a big night for the network, as the new Tim Allen/Kat Dennings comedy, Shifting Gears, premieres.Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 5 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near Mafia
Cite this Entry
“Mafia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Mafia. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
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