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View synonyms for lone wolf

lone wolf

[ lohn woolf ]

noun

  1. a person who prefers to live, act, or work alone or independent of others.
  2. a criminal who acts alone (often used attributively):

    lone-wolf terrorists.



lone wolf

noun

  1. a person who prefers to be alone
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of lone wolf1

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10
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Idioms and Phrases

A person who prefers to do without the company or assistance of others. For example, Her nursery school teacher described Beth as a lone wolf, an assessment her parents found astonishing . This expression alludes to the tendency of some species of wolf to hunt alone rather than in packs. [c. 1900]
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Example Sentences

A lot of the violence is coming from lone wolves or single assailants.

It is unclear whether the ongoing attacks are by a lone wolf or a pack.

From BBC

Pitt, who has faced personal controversies, and Clooney, who maintains an image of domestic bliss with Amal Clooney, seem almost to mirror their characters’ dynamic- both lone wolves navigating personal and professional challenges.

From BBC

So yeah, I think now the current misconception is that he was a lone wolf acting alone.

From Salon

Officials at both sites — fearing threats including lone wolf gunmen and an array of radicals — have limited how close demonstrators can get to convention venues.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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