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
As viewers have seen throughout the series so far, Harry has, indeed, engaged in all manner of dubious behavior on behalf of his Irish gangster boss, perpetrating violence and manipulation that even some of the Harrigans wouldn’t do.
—
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 8 May 2025
As is the norm in the ’90s, L.A. rapper Tone Loc is part of the cast as a gangster from around the way named Frog.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 9 May 2025
In 1979, when Carmine Galante, the head of the Bonanno crime family, was killed, the photographer Hal Goldenberg hoofed it up onto a roof in Brooklyn to get a shot of the gangster’s cooling corpse.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
The various factions all converge as Walker negotiates a rendezvous with the extremely wary Mia, which is interrupted by dirty cops, followed by wave upon wave of gun- and blade-wielding Chinese gangsters.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gangster
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 8 May 2025
As is the norm in the ’90s, L.A. rapper Tone Loc is part of the cast as a gangster from around the way named Frog.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 9 May 2025
In 1979, when Carmine Galante, the head of the Bonanno crime family, was killed, the photographer Hal Goldenberg hoofed it up onto a roof in Brooklyn to get a shot of the gangster’s cooling corpse.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
The various factions all converge as Walker negotiates a rendezvous with the extremely wary Mia, which is interrupted by dirty cops, followed by wave upon wave of gun- and blade-wielding Chinese gangsters.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gangster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangster
Noun
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There’s no dearth of evil Imperial thugs in Andor — however, one character who seems to exist in a complicated moral gray is Lonni Jung (Robert Emms), a fellow ISB officer who attends Partagaz’s closed-door briefings alongside Dedra but relays the Empire’s plans to Luthen in secret.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
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Speaking of the stand: The prosecution’s main witness changes her damning testimony against Gomez when one of his thugs — the same guy that was trying to get Noah to get in his car — arrives in court and glares menacingly from the back row.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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By the way, none of us is a criminal, as hacking is not a crime.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
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Manson was a petty criminal who had been in and out of jail since childhood.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2025
Noun
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Of course, everyone has their own favorite Bond villain.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
24 May 2025
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But the new villain is smarter than the IMF assumed, and the mission has disastrous results.—
Keith Langston,
People.com,
24 May 2025
Noun
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Corridos have long been used to tell stories in Mexico, sometimes recounting the exploits of bandits and outlaws.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2025
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After listening in on the meeting, Nanette offers to help identify the bandits using Kabir’s complaint log.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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King Shrewd secretly trains young Fitz as an assassin, harnessing his ancestral magic.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
25 May 2025
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Those were the final words uttered by Emperor Uriel Septum—played by none other than Star Trek's Patrick Stewart—before an assassin leaped out of the shadows to cut him down.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
22 May 2025
Noun
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Netflix Inc—stock up 33% Lilyhammer, the story of a New York mobster relocating to Norway, was Netflix’s first original.—
Christian Stadler,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
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The series parodies the tropes of mobster dramas, comically combining elements of characters like Yogi Bear with series like The Sopranos.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gangster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangster. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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