1. people who participate in lynching; members of a mob that kills someone illegally, especially by hanging
Usage: historical; refers to extrajudicial killings

Examples

• The lynchers were never brought to justice for their crimes.
• Historical records document the actions of lynchers during the post-Civil War era.
• The sheriff tried to protect the prisoner from the lynchers.
• Many lynchers acted under cover of darkness to avoid identification.
• Civil rights activists worked to expose and prosecute lynchers.
• The community condemned the lynchers and their violent actions.