1
as in teams
a group of people working together on a task
a gang of neighborhood residents spent the weekend cleaning up the park
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in cliques
a group of people sharing a common interest and relating together socially
the whole gang went out for pizza the school's computer hackers had their own little gang
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in Mafias
a group involved in secret or criminal activities
politicians promising to stop the growth of inner-city gangs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gangs
Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026
Now, 80% of Port-Au-Prince, the nation's capital, is run by gangs.
—Johnny Resendiz, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
Jalisco operatives have aggressively invaded the turf of other gangs, incorporated smaller criminal bands into its ranks and put legions of police officers, judges, prosecutors and politicians on its payroll.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
The assassination led to a political vacuum and plunged Haiti deeper into chaos, with armed gangs running amok.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2026
Court documents showed that a cellphone video showed members of two gangs in the Buffalo Wild Wings parking lot.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 20 Feb. 2026
In January, gangs in Guatemala retaliated against police after authorities put down riots in three prisons.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
My key priorities include prosecuting violent offenders, gangs, traffickers, fentanyl dealers, and cartels; supporting local law enforcement; pursuing lawsuits to defend Texas; and aggressively investigating and prosecuting fraud.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
For example, Yasser Abu Shabab, the now-deceased head of one of the gangs, reportedly escaped prison, where he was jailed for drug smuggling.
—Daniel Estrin, NPR, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
The Jalisco cartel benefited from an explosion of mini-cartels and gangs around the country over the past 20 years.
—Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026
Now, 80% of Port-Au-Prince, the nation's capital, is run by gangs.
—Johnny Resendiz, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
Jalisco operatives have aggressively invaded the turf of other gangs, incorporated smaller criminal bands into its ranks and put legions of police officers, judges, prosecutors and politicians on its payroll.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
The assassination led to a political vacuum and plunged Haiti deeper into chaos, with armed gangs running amok.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2026
Court documents showed that a cellphone video showed members of two gangs in the Buffalo Wild Wings parking lot.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 20 Feb. 2026
In January, gangs in Guatemala retaliated against police after authorities put down riots in three prisons.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
My key priorities include prosecuting violent offenders, gangs, traffickers, fentanyl dealers, and cartels; supporting local law enforcement; pursuing lawsuits to defend Texas; and aggressively investigating and prosecuting fraud.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
For example, Yasser Abu Shabab, the now-deceased head of one of the gangs, reportedly escaped prison, where he was jailed for drug smuggling.
—Daniel Estrin, NPR, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangs
Noun
-
Both teams won their first games of the tournament.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Like the Globetrotters and their perennial opponents the Washington Generals, the Snowballs will ultimately split into two teams and face off against each other in exhibition-style games, but also hope to play college teams and minor leaguers like the Kane County Cougars.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Their parties became notorious even in my own cliques; my parents knew to expect at least a few dozen teenagers crashing their party, sucking down all the noodles, and sneaking beers in the canyon down below.—
Natasha Pickowicz,
Vogue,
20 Feb. 2026
-
This graph had no cliques — clusters of nodes that are all connected to one another.—
Leila Sloman,
Quanta Magazine,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Now, in an age of instant communications, their Cold War counterparts could nonetheless disappear into a covert netherworld, loosening Washington’s controls and freeing them to plot coups, mobilize armies, and install governments.—
Alfred McCoy,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Along with the disruptions, the storm led to the creation of armies of snowmen and other sculptures as well as snowball fights.—
Jake Offenhartz,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
At the same time, intensified federal immigration enforcement actions in Southern California have heightened tensions across school communities, prompting district leaders to reiterate policies aimed at protecting student access to campuses.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
While the Kleberg-Rylie closure was caused by building damage, not budget decisions, the loss of access has heightened concerns about service gaps in communities that rely heavily on library spaces for computer access, printing and after-school support, library board members said.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Recent Mexican history is riddled with the tales of once-powerful syndicates — gangs in Guadalajara, Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez, among them — that ruptured, were gobbled up by other mobs or petered out as the big guys were captured or killed.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Adams put together a portfolio of his workday doodles and sent it to several newspaper syndicates.—
Chris Koseluk,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
These are in addition to private members clubs The Wilde and Cipriani, among other highlights.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Shane Stant clubs Kerrigan on the knee and flees the scene.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The park also pointed out a Junior Ranger booklet's mention of female pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries dressing like men to hide among ship crews.—
Karin Brulliard,
Arkansas Online,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Homicide and nonfatal shooting totals fell again in 2023, but the city was roiled by robbery and carjacking crews responsible for an overall uptick in violence.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
His removal has sparked celebrations in Tehran, as well as 40 days’ official mourning and huge pro-regime crowds – but also a struggle for what remains of the regime to work out what comes next.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
-
All across bluegrass and beyond, crowds got bigger, and opportunities grew.—
Chris Parton,
Rolling Stone,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gangs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangs. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
