as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
Al Capone remains one of the most notorious gangsters in American history
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 gangster
Macías is one of Ecuador’s most notorious gangsters and is the only founding member of Los Choneros believed to still be alive.
—
Ana María Cañizares, CNN Money, 27 June 2025
This earlier era of Miami was where Arnaz and a school chum, Sonny Capone (son of the gangster, Al, who had lived on Miami Beach’s Palm Island), would get together after class to sing and play the bongo drums.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 19 June 2025
The all-star cast for the limited series includes Kevin Hart as Chicken Man, the organizer of the party, Taraji P. Henson as his right hand woman Vivian Thomas, Samuel L. Jackson as gangster Frank Moten, and Don Cheadle as J.D. Hudson, the cop trying to figure out who really orchestrated the crime.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 20 June 2025
Creature With the Atom Brain sees a gangster force a German scientist to reanimate the dead with atomic radiation in order to pull off crimes (recalling both Frankenstein and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, films that fit neatly alongside the zombie genre).
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for gangster
Ana María Cañizares, CNN Money, 27 June 2025
This earlier era of Miami was where Arnaz and a school chum, Sonny Capone (son of the gangster, Al, who had lived on Miami Beach’s Palm Island), would get together after class to sing and play the bongo drums.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 19 June 2025
The all-star cast for the limited series includes Kevin Hart as Chicken Man, the organizer of the party, Taraji P. Henson as his right hand woman Vivian Thomas, Samuel L. Jackson as gangster Frank Moten, and Don Cheadle as J.D. Hudson, the cop trying to figure out who really orchestrated the crime.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 20 June 2025
Creature With the Atom Brain sees a gangster force a German scientist to reanimate the dead with atomic radiation in order to pull off crimes (recalling both Frankenstein and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, films that fit neatly alongside the zombie genre).
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for gangster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangster
Noun
-
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
-
These scenes evoke images of government thugs in violent regimes disappearing opponents.—
Christy Lopez Guest,
Mercury News,
5 July 2025
Noun
-
Recently, however, the technology has been used by criminals for purposes of sextortion.—
Steve Weisman,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
-
But with this bill, Republicans are laying the groundwork to gut safeguards that stopped criminals from getting these deadly weapons.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 July 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
Noun
-
Riri joins their band of bandits — hacker Slug (Shea Couleé), pyrotechnic master Clown (Sonia Denis), enforcers Jeri (Zoe Terakes) and Roz (Shakira Barrera) aka the Blood Siblings.—
Ronda Racha Penrice,
HollywoodReporter,
11 July 2025
-
The article, published in the July issue of Maguire Magazine, questions whether the bandit Jasper Gunn ever existed in the first place.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
PlayStation 5 Games Deals The Assassin's Creed franchise has been a staple in gaming consoles for nearly 20 years now, and Shadows, the latest iteration, furthers that tradition with a game that puts players behind Naoe, a shinobi assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
11 July 2025
-
The details of how these would-be assassins got so close are still shrouded in mystery.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Following Bullets, Cordero played the title character’s husband in Waitress, as well as a mobster in A Bronx Tale.—
Erica Marrison,
People.com,
5 July 2025
-
A lot of things have changed in the 100 years since prohibition empowered Al Capone and other mobsters to get rich selling booze on the black market.—
Alyssa Miller Hurley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gangster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangster. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share