as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
the short, violence-filled life of an inner-city gangsta
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gangsta
The tough, gangsta image that defined late ’80s and early ’90s hip-hop had now been sanded down into something more aspirational and decidedly capitalist.
—
Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 12 May 2025
The Geto Boys used expletives and a lot of bravado, but the core of their message is that a ‘gangsta’ is unafraid to be themselves, and confident in their experience.
—Angela Andaloro, People.com, 9 May 2025
According to Shaw, this is exactly what happened when Tupac later moved to Los Angeles and fully embraced the elevated gangsta image.
—Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Things just ain’t the same for Dre and Snoop, the gangsta-rap godfathers whose rule-breaking crassness and scandalous storytelling helped coax Time Warner to dump its piece of Interscope Records in 1995 under pressure from Senator Bob Dole.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gangsta
Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 12 May 2025
The Geto Boys used expletives and a lot of bravado, but the core of their message is that a ‘gangsta’ is unafraid to be themselves, and confident in their experience.
—Angela Andaloro, People.com, 9 May 2025
According to Shaw, this is exactly what happened when Tupac later moved to Los Angeles and fully embraced the elevated gangsta image.
—Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Things just ain’t the same for Dre and Snoop, the gangsta-rap godfathers whose rule-breaking crassness and scandalous storytelling helped coax Time Warner to dump its piece of Interscope Records in 1995 under pressure from Senator Bob Dole.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gangsta
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangsta
Noun
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According to reporting from the Clermont Sun, Fike tweeted ‘#thug the new n word’ in April 2015 and ‘Thug life = thug treatment = no pity from me’ in July 2019.—
James Wilkins,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 July 2025
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These scenes evoke images of government thugs in violent regimes disappearing opponents.—
Christy Lopez Guest,
Mercury News,
5 July 2025
Noun
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Ineffably, Renko’s qualities of solidity and rebelliousness bring my father back to me, and the whole 11-book series, set mostly in Russia (with excursions to Cuba and the Arctic Circle), is a galloping wonder, full of apparatchiks, spies, oligarchs, gangsters, and murders galore.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
16 July 2025
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Aside from the already extraordinary tale of the O’Leary clan, Jim O’Leary led a life of adventure as a main cog for the city’s infamous gambling operations at a time when gangsters battled over control of the Prohibition liquor trade.—
William Lee,
Chicago Tribune,
5 July 2025
Noun
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Betty Ann Tomlinson, 50, was charged Thursday afternoon with arson, conspiracy to commit arson and assisting a criminal.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
12 July 2025
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The thriller follows a professional criminal who, after surviving an assassination attempt, embarks on a relentless quest to identify his would-be killer and protect his family.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Matthias Schoenaerts signed on as the film's villain, Krem of the Yellow Hills, in September 2024, per Deadline, and a few months later, Jason Momoa confirmed his casting as the violent intergalactic bounty hunter, Lobo.—
Samantha Stutsman,
People.com,
12 July 2025
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But just to use an example, Force Awakens sets up Snoke as the big villain of the new trilogy, with a mysterious backstory.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gangsta.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangsta. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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