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
-
Minnesotans, not the armed thugs of ICE and the Border Patrol, are brave.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Actively inserting yourself into and attempting to stymie federal law enforcement or barging into a church, as some of these thugs did in Minneapolis, is hindering law enforcement and trespassing, respectively.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Brocklehurst’s script is about a gangster movie fan who goes to a crime convention in Nevada, hence the title.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
22 Jan. 2026
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He was freed on supervised release in May 2020, but quickly broke that pledge, chowing down with his fellow Colombo gangsters at the legendary Brennan and Carr restaurant that November to discuss the crime family’s future, and their labor union shakedown scheme.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In a news release announcing the signature petition, backers of the measure featured quotes from prominent Colorado and national Democrats supporting deporting violent criminals, though none have apparently endorsed this specific measure.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
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This is the justification for the administration’s desire to deport criminals, persons who have truly harmed others by breaking laws.—
Scott Santarosa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Picking winners and losers, heroes and villains, pathways to success and failure, generates excitement for an event and manufactures a sense of urgency for maximal viewing pleasure.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
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What the late Ka did to build resolve against the unforgiving brutalities of Brownsville, Marci combines with the flair of a Bond villain and contempt for anyone attempting to copy his mold.—
Dylan Green,
Pitchfork,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gangsta.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangsta. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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