Definitions

thief

[theef] / θif /

NOUN

person who steals

Synonyms

STRONGEST

bandit burglar criminal crook mugger pickpocket pirate robber sniper swindler

STRONG

cheat clip defalcator embezzler hijacker housebreaker kleptomaniac larcener larcenist lifter moonlighter owl pilferer plunderer prowler punk scrounger shoplifter spider stealer

WEAK

cat burglar heister highway robber holdup artist porch climber purloiner stickup artist

Antonyms

STRONGEST

law police

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Morning after morning, residents would retrieve the bottles of milk on their stoops only to find that a thief had skimmed off the cream.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Roco is “Hell Grind’s” protagonist, who journeys through a dystopian wasteland to save his fellow thief and love interest Lulu.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

Comparison is the thief of living within your means.

From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026

We now know from court documents that the thief is alleged to have faked a handwritten note saying that particular item had been stolen in 1963.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

What if the Mona Lisa was the lamp that made the thief appear gigantic?

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

Vocabulary lists containing thief

Excerpt from "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for June 8–June 14, 2024

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Unit 19, Lesson 4

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