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

The hysteria of recent days, however, strikes me as akin to the neighborhood dogs yapping in chorus three weeks after the burglar has been and gone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

According to sources familiar with the investigation but not authorized to speak publicly, there were people inside the home when the alleged cat burglar tried to enter a second-story window of the three-story home.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 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

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

The two suspected burglars are said to be among them.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

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

But there were still valuable belongings at their home, and his family was concerned burglars might try to ignore the hazardous chemicals in the air and take advantage of the situation.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2026

It can patrol there with its big old horns, deterring burglars and such.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

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