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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gangster
In Season 4 of Godfather of Harlem, Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker) continues his bloody war for control of Harlem against New York’s Mafia families, while contending with the arrival of gangster Frank Lucas (Rome Flynn).
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Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2025
For a movie about an apocalyptic clash of vampires and gangsters, Sinners has moments of unexpected jubilance, even rapture.
—A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2025
But its performance since then has been dismal, with a gangster movie championed by David Zaslav, the chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, flatlining last month.
—Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Mel Novak, the great movie villain known for his slick turns as the sniper Stick in Bruce Lee’s Game of Death, the gangster Blue Eyes in Jim Kelly’s Black Belt Jones and the informant Tony Montoya in Chuck Norris’ An Eye for an Eye, has died.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gangster
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2025
For a movie about an apocalyptic clash of vampires and gangsters, Sinners has moments of unexpected jubilance, even rapture.
—A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2025
But its performance since then has been dismal, with a gangster movie championed by David Zaslav, the chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, flatlining last month.
—Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Mel Novak, the great movie villain known for his slick turns as the sniper Stick in Bruce Lee’s Game of Death, the gangster Blue Eyes in Jim Kelly’s Black Belt Jones and the informant Tony Montoya in Chuck Norris’ An Eye for an Eye, has died.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gangster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangster
Noun
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The story focuses on two figures, a school principal and a thug.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2025
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Resist this madness before the unhinged, heartless bully and his spellbound thugs shred our Constitution and our future.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Reckless sanctuary city policies create a sanctuary for one class — criminals.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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Trump has expressed support for Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's maximum security prison, calling it an effective solution for U.S. criminals.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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With its ability to grow through asphalt and structural material, survive up to 20 years in total darkness and uproot the foundation of homes, Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) could be the villain in a horror movie.—
Martha Proctor,
Mercury News,
1 May 2025
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The Grizzlies were a gritty team by nature, and Brooks was indeed a villain.—
Kelly Iko,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Noun
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Castillo, a Peruvian national, and his accomplices were considered international bandits and wanted on several continents, according to the Los Angeles Times coverage of their trial, which lasted more than five months.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2025
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The caps proved popular with dockworkers, shipwrights and bandits, and, over time, the baker boy hat became synonymous with the newsboy cap (which was actually worn by boys working at newsstands).—
Rosa Rahimi,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Mistaken for the world’s deadliest assassin, Ben becomes the perfect decoy for Eden.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2025
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Much more disturbing than the scenes of pint-size assassins wreaking havoc (or emerging bloody from a birth sack in the Grand Guignol climax) are the toxic emotions that inspired them.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Makeup & Wigs The Alto Knights Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Warner Bros. Two Italian American mobsters, both played by Robert De Niro.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2025
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After a promising opening set in a seedy 1980s club where Billie inadvertently kills the wrong mobster, the second book just doesn’t quite hit its stride.—
Yvonne Zipp,
Christian Science Monitor,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gangster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangster. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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