burglar

[bur-gler] / ˈbɜr glər /

NOUN

person who steals

Synonyms

STRONGEST

crook robber thief

STRONG

housebreaker owl pilferer prowler safecracker

WEAK

cat burglar filcher midnighter picklock porch climber sneakthief

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another name for a burglar?

The word burglar specifically refers to someone who commits burglary—the crime of breaking into a place to steal things. A burglar is sometimes called a prowler. A particularly stealthy and skilled burglar is sometimes called a cat burglar. Antiquated words for burglar include housebreaker, sneakthief, and picklock. A burglar is a kind of thief, but the word thief is much more general. A house that has been burglarized can be said to have been robbed, but the word robber typically refers to someone who steals by using force, violence, or threats of force or violence. A person who specifically steals hamburgers is called a hamburglar.

What words are related to burglar?

The crime that a burglar commits is called burglary. In the US, the verb burglarize is used. In the UK, the verb is burgle. The adjective antiburglary is sometimes used to describe something designed to prevent burglaries, such as bars on windows or a burglar alarm (an electronic security system). A house with such things might be said to be burglarproof. The much rarer adjective burglarious means “pertaining to or involving burglary.”

How do you spell burglar?

Unlike a lot of words that refer to a person who performs a specific action (robber, farmer), burglar ends not in -er or -or but in -ar. The ending likely traces back to Latin origins, probably the verb burgāre, meaning “to thieve.”

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.

See Examples For:

burglar burglars

From burglar to saboteur, artificial-intelligence agents have taken on nefarious roles in recent so-called loss-of-control episodes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

It could also provide enough electricity for off-grid devices requiring little power, such as sensors to detect pest damage to farmland, overflowing rivers, landslides or even burglar alarms.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

Pethig was reported to the police by the burglar who had stolen the laptop.

From BBC ● May 11, 2026

His father, Charles Whittaker, was a traveling salesman for a maker of burglar alarms and bank vaults.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026

Victor, dressed in black sneakers, pants, and hood, like a cat burglar, walked in, followed by his boys.

From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor

It’s functionally a field guide of targets for burglars, looters and squatters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Five decades ago, four burglars broke into a billionaire’s safe, setting off a chain of events that exposed and foiled one of the CIA’s most ambitious operations against the Soviets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

A panel of legal experts had originally said that Ramaphosa may have a case to answer after burglars stole more than $500,000 in cash, hidden in a sofa, from his rural home.

From BBC ● May 8, 2026

Officers responded to a call Saturday night in Toluca Lake, where burglars are said to have gotten away with high-value items such as jewelry and cash.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2026

Finally Peter and I leaned over the banister, straining our ears like a couple of burglars to hear the sounds from downstairs.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

burglar

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

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