as in nemesis
one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense
the danger of these self-appointed vigilantes is that they sometimes go after innocent people
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Recent Examples of vigilante
Following the 1876 election, the parties struck a deal to remove those forces, allowing vigilante and southern white authorities to reinstate control over Black southerners.
—
Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 19 June 2025
Morales continued to say there was no threat to the community and is encouraging residents to stay vigilante.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 8 June 2025
Still, Pearce is expecting a vigilante police presence at the event.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2025
Similar acts of vigilante justice animate his film.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for vigilante
Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 19 June 2025
Morales continued to say there was no threat to the community and is encouraging residents to stay vigilante.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 8 June 2025
Still, Pearce is expecting a vigilante police presence at the event.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2025
Similar acts of vigilante justice animate his film.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for vigilante
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vigilante
nemesis
Noun
-
Superman’s nemesis, Lex Luthor, played with quicksilver menace by Nicholas Hoult, is now a fascist tech billionaire — the CEO of LutherCorp — who has his tentacles everywhere: in industry, the U.S. government, and foreign nations.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
8 July 2025
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Alabama as the nemesis, from the Blackout game to the 2012 SEC championship, to second-and-26, then finally beating Alabama after Kelee Ringo’s pick-six … only to lose twice more to the Crimson Tide.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vigilante.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vigilante. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
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