yakuza
noun
ya·ku·za
ˈyä-ku̇-ˌzä 
plural yakuza
1
: a Japanese gangster
2
: an organized crime syndicate in Japan
Examples of yakuza in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Selected as Japan’s Oscar submission for the best international feature category, Kokuho tells the story of a yakuza gang leader’s son, Kikuo Tachibana, who becomes an apprentice of a kabuki theater actor after the murder of Kikuo’s father.
—
Sara Merican, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2025
When the yakuza betrayed him, a dying Denji made a deal with the dog-like Chainsaw Devil, Pochita.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Oct. 2025
Beginning in 1964 Nagasaki and unfolding over the next 50 years, young Kikuo (Soya Kurokawa) is taken under the wing of renowned Kabuki maestro Hanjiro Hanai (Ken Watanabe) after his yakuza father was slain.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2025
That means, Ulysses is up against the entire population — which is a lot less than 1,890 when the film is over — while the yakuza take a 10-hour private jet over to settle the score.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 8 Sep. 2025
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Sara Merican, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2025
When the yakuza betrayed him, a dying Denji made a deal with the dog-like Chainsaw Devil, Pochita.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Oct. 2025
Beginning in 1964 Nagasaki and unfolding over the next 50 years, young Kikuo (Soya Kurokawa) is taken under the wing of renowned Kabuki maestro Hanjiro Hanai (Ken Watanabe) after his yakuza father was slain.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2025
That means, Ulysses is up against the entire population — which is a lot less than 1,890 when the film is over — while the yakuza take a 10-hour private jet over to settle the score.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yakuza
Cite this Entry
“Yakuza.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yakuza. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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