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
Sara MacHi, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Its possible seizure by gangs or political spoilers would be widely viewed as a sign of total state collapse.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
The violence has been linked to major criminal gangs such as Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), both labeled as terrorist organizations by Guatemala and the United States, according to AP.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Such attacks are common in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, where multiple gangs and religious armed groups attack remote communities with limited security and government presence.
—Dyepkazah Shibayan, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026
By 2001 coyotes were so much in the news in the Windy City that in that year Chicago homeowners listed them—not street gangs, not burglars, but coyotes—as the single greatest threat to their safety.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security and Bovino himself have held the case up as a prime example of the violence that immigration officials were facing, including death threats allegedly coming from street gangs and even international cartels.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Unlike local gangs, however, these groups maintain articulated political agendas, even if those agendas remain largely oriented toward Colombia.
—Rebecca Hanson, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2026
Venezuela’s government launched a far-reaching crackdown after Maduro’s ouster, detaining journalists and civilians and sending armed gangs to the streets.
—María Luisa Paúl, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
The pacing was a little ironic, given the fact Martinez requested a speedy trial, but his attorneys wanted to go through several pieces of evidence before they were presented to the jury — mostly transcripts with references to gangs.
—Sara MacHi, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Its possible seizure by gangs or political spoilers would be widely viewed as a sign of total state collapse.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
The violence has been linked to major criminal gangs such as Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), both labeled as terrorist organizations by Guatemala and the United States, according to AP.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Such attacks are common in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, where multiple gangs and religious armed groups attack remote communities with limited security and government presence.
—Dyepkazah Shibayan, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026
By 2001 coyotes were so much in the news in the Windy City that in that year Chicago homeowners listed them—not street gangs, not burglars, but coyotes—as the single greatest threat to their safety.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security and Bovino himself have held the case up as a prime example of the violence that immigration officials were facing, including death threats allegedly coming from street gangs and even international cartels.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Unlike local gangs, however, these groups maintain articulated political agendas, even if those agendas remain largely oriented toward Colombia.
—Rebecca Hanson, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2026
Venezuela’s government launched a far-reaching crackdown after Maduro’s ouster, detaining journalists and civilians and sending armed gangs to the streets.
—María Luisa Paúl, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangs
Noun
-
As of January 7, seven teams are looking for a new coach, including the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, and Arizona Cardinals.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
That's not to mention the lower ranks where teams like James Madison or Tulane might find their way into the 12-team field, only to get obliterated in the playoff and lose their coaches and half their players to Power Five schools along the way.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
These internal cliques, or deputy gangs, which have been tied to specific LASD precincts, have names like the Banditos, the Grim Reapers, and the Regulators.—
Jesse Hyde,
Rolling Stone,
21 Oct. 2025
-
At the Dallas Street property, small cliques of armed men, mostly Venezuelans and Mexicans, fought an ongoing turf war.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Instead of kings and queens cunningly maneuvering their armies against their enemies, there’s only an ox of a man and a bald little boy, neither of whom exhibits a clearly superior intellect.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Guerrilla armies roam the country’s western border, and private militias stand ready.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And some California communities are already sounding the alarm.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
-
After unanimous pushback from the council, the plan is now on hold; however, Mendelsohn said taking away services from certain communities to save money isn't the answer.—
Marissa Armas,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Outside the capital, guerrilla groups and organized crime syndicates are exploiting the power vacuum along Venezuela’s borders and in its resource-rich interior.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Many of the scam compounds operating across Southeast Asia are run by Chinese crime syndicates.—
Ladan Anoushfar,
CNN Money,
24 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Shane Stant clubs Kerrigan on the knee and flees the scene.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That property is now deemed uninhabitable by the city, but power crews are working on it.—
Mike Sullivan,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The Times found that a battalion chief ordered firefighters to roll up their hoses and leave the burn area despite complaints by crews that the ground still was smoldering.—
Alene Tchekmedyian,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For now, Telluride is open, the snow is skiing well, and crowds are thin.—
Spencer Wilson,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Noise and crowds were replaced by the sounds of lapping waves and seagull cries.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gangs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangs. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
