highwayman

noun

high·​way·​man ˈhī-ˌwā-mən How to pronounce highwayman (audio)
: a thief who robs travelers on a road

Examples of highwayman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The sybaritic highwayman Macheath maneuvers between a cutthroat capitalist milieu (Mr. and Mrs. Peachum) and a corrupt police force (led by Tiger Brown) while seducing daughters from both worlds (Polly Peachum and Lucy Brown). Alex Ross, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025 In the irreverent retelling of the 18th-century highwayman’s life, Turpin is the most famous but least likely of robbers, whose success is defined mostly by his charm, showmanship, and great hair. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 16 Jan. 2025 Written by Fielding, Richard Naylor and Jon Brittain, the series followed the contemptuous life of the 18th-century highwayman, known in York, England, as a thief, poacher and killer but whose exploits have been widely romanticized in modern culture. Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Jan. 2025 Dick Turpin was an English robber and highwayman whose criminal activities gained him notoriety in the early eighteenth century. Ben Morse, CNN, 14 Jan. 2025 The group gets further assistance from a charming aristocratic dandy/secret highwayman named Charles Devereaux (Frank Dillane). Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024 In the irreverent retelling of the 18th-century highwayman’s life, Turpin is the most famous but least likely of robbers, whose success is defined mostly by his charm, showmanship, and great hair. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 16 Jan. 2025 Written by Fielding, Richard Naylor and Jon Brittain, the series followed the contemptuous life of the 18th-century highwayman, known in York, England, as a thief, poacher and killer but whose exploits have been widely romanticized in modern culture. Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Jan. 2025 The group gets further assistance from a charming aristocratic dandy/secret highwayman named Charles Devereaux (Frank Dillane). Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1617, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of highwayman was in 1617

Cite this Entry

“Highwayman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/highwayman. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

highwayman

noun
high·​way·​man -mən How to pronounce highwayman (audio)
: a person who robs travelers on a highway

More from Merriam-Webster on highwayman

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