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gateway drug
noun
: a drug (such as alcohol or marijuana) whose use is thought to lead to the use of and dependence on a harder drug (such as cocaine or heroin)
Examples of gateway drug in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ran watch on prime video Rear Window Year: 1954
Runtime: 1h 52m
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Rear Window is the gateway drug for young people learning about the Master of Suspense.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 11 June 2024
But in fashion — using Vivienne Westwood as his gateway drug — Valencia found it all: history, politics, nature, curiosity and, ultimately, freedom.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
The Grateful Dead is like a gateway drug for a lot of young people now to get into bluegrass and that kind of thing.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 26 Mar. 2024
Pry Bar/Crow Bar Craftsman Pry Bar My gateway drug to the prepper life was the above pry bar.
—Meredith Woerner, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
The perfect gateway drug to historical romance, MacLean delivers fierce, feminist, fresh takes year after year.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2023
Elder proved a perfect introduction to the Tool show
Elder's opening set was a perfect gateway drug to Tool, setting the tone with a three-song performance that lasted nearly 30 minutes.
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 10 Feb. 2024
Ironically, the gateway drug was not a commercial film title but a fitness regimen, Jane Fonda’s Workout.
—Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Apr. 2023
So the Stones were my gateway drug to all these incredible things.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 22 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gateway drug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1981, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near gateway drug
Cite this Entry
“Gateway drug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gateway%20drug. Accessed 17 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
gateway drug
noun
: a drug (as marijuana) whose use is thought to lead to the use of and dependence on a harder drug that is more addictive and harmful to health
Medical Definition
gateway drug
noun
gate·way drug
ˈgāt-ˌwā-
: a drug (such as alcohol or marijuana) whose use is thought to lead to the use of and dependence on more dangerous, addicting substances (such as cocaine or heroin)
To end at the beginning, nicotine … is now considered a "gateway drug," as it commonly precedes and is comorbid with other substance use.—Donald A. Henderson, The Journal of the American Medical Association
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