BULLIES Synonyms: 180 Similar and Opposite Words

bullies 1 of 2

noun

plural of bully

as in enemies

a person who teases, threatens, or hurts smaller, weaker, or more vulnerable persons the school has a procedure for students who want to report problems with bullies

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as in thugs

a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang the local loan shark and his bullies have ways of making people pay up

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bullies

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bully

as in abuses

to inflict physical or emotional harm upon the kindergarten teacher explained why it was wrong to bully classmates

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as in intimidates

to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats the manager was fired for bullying employees

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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 bullies

Noun

Raman’s colleagues on the City Council have trashed her like bullies out of a boarding school novel. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026 In third grade, bullies pulled her hair and shoved her into a bathroom stall, breaking two of her fingers. — Nancy Jo Sales, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026 The horrifying filing details how bullies harassed her with Nazi salutes, slurs, and brutal violence following the October 7 massacre. — Staff, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 Dementia is clearly a big problem, and yet, sadly, our politicians — both Democrats and Republicans — talk about it not like adults, but like schoolyard bullies. — Jason Karlawish, STAT, 16 Sep. 2026 Now Carrie enters public school for the very first time, and with the reemergence of formidable telekinetic abilities, her blissful naivety of girlhood and her wide-open heart make her easy prey for physical and online bullies. — Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026 In both cases, legal protections designed to defend the little guy against bullies—the brewers, the car manufacturers—ended up creating a new category of bully. — John Lanchester, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026 Hathaway hilariously portrays the growing pains of trying to learn royal etiquette while navigating dreamy boys and high-school bullies. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026 The Pratts are in serious crisis, besieged by bullies and bad neighbors outside of their house and foundation-crumbling dysfunction inside it. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026

Verb

Backstage, Kenny Omega calls the Don Callis Family bullies and tells them to pick any three members to face him and The Young Bucks, who are standing beside Omega, next week. — Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026 Williams called Valkyries fans bullies in an Instagram Live stream earlier this week, and by Friday night, Chase Center had the receipts. — Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 20 June 2026 Sweden’s Hien had no idea how to stop Brobbey’s darting runs when looking to connect with crosses from out wide and the striker routinely bullies bigger boys before either scoring or creating for others. — Carl Anka, New York Times, 20 June 2026 The Pledge is meaningless if the president of the United States lies to us, divides us, bullies us and steals from us. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026 Collective action deters bullies Harvard never stood alone. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026 There’s always a mean kid in your class who bullies everybody else. — Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026 Henry Bowers is the local punk who relentlessly bullies the Losers' Club and later falls under the spell of Pennywise. — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Dec. 2025 Cipher bullies other characters across the season about their powers, but because of Andre and Polarity’s degenerative abilities, this underscores the eugenics behind his beliefs. — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bullies

Noun

Continue reading … STAR WARS — America's enemies prepare to take the next major war into outer space.

— , FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Rather than growing up on the paradise island of Themyscira, Kelly Thompson’s Wonder Woman is raised in Hell by the witch Circe — historically one of her greatest enemies.

— Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of enemies

Noun

These low-level thugs typically are not believed to be formally aligned with Iran.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
Saint played Edie Doyle, whose brother was murdered by thugs working for a mob boss running a longshoremen's union; her character becomes involved with Brando's pugilistic dockworker Terry Malloy.

— David Morgan, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of thugs

Verb

Anyone who repeatedly abuses AI tools may soon find Claude giving them the silent treatment.

— James Peckham, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
Detectives will continue investigating these cases aggressively, and anyone who abuses their position with a child will be held accountable.

— Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of abuses

Verb

Melanie Melanie came to this reunion prepared with both facts and a prosecutorial confrontation style that effectively intimidates all of her on-stage opponents.

— Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
In the five vignettes, James, as his character Eddie Horniman, intimidates various individuals while going through the clean-up, the sacrifice, the angle, the cut and the judgment — all steps of serving Stella Artois.

— Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of intimidates

Noun

Also protect the email account associated with your Social Security profile because criminals may target it to reset other passwords.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Ford placed the inmate’s bid for clemency on the agenda of the state pardons board — an example, Lombardo claims, of the way Ford treats criminals.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of criminals

Verb

The prospect of Sean Steur or Lewis Hall — whose contract situation Wilson refused to be drawn on, despite being asked three times — leaving is not something which frightens the hierarchy.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Penelope, too, is asked to occupy a landscape that frightens her, not only as a neurodivergent child in a neurotypical culture, but as a child now situated in an adult world.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of frightens

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“Bullies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bullies. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bullies

noun

verb

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