as in thugs
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 gangsters
Now is the time to push back in defense of free speech – as strongly and as publicly as the gangsters on the left and right are threatening to revoke it.
—
Onkar Ghate, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
Unlike Mare, whose community was cloistered and intimate, Task builds a wider world of dealers, gangsters, and thieves, not always to its benefit.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2025
There’s also a tropical storm circulating, as if the gangsters flew in from the tropics.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
Others are new, building on a genuinely fresh and funny revelation that explains not only a cold open involving yakuza gangsters half a world away in Osaka, but also why this quaint town is sitting on a stash of weaponry big enough to overthrow the governments of several small nations.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025
Inspired by the colonial Singapore gangsters rulers, four girls, at a modern-day regimented elite secondary school form their own gang cam-recording petty acts of rebellion, led by firebrand freethinking lesbian Choo Xin Yu.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
Roman is later gunned down by Hasidic gangsters Lipa (Liev Schreiber) and Shmully (Vincent D’Onofrio), who take Hank hostage.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
The next day, a pair of Russian gangsters, a tall one named Aleksei (Yuri Kolokolnikov) and a short one nicknamed Microbe (Nikita Kukushkin), come by looking for Russ and beat Hank nearly to death.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025
The government sees us as criminals and gangsters.
—Tommy Trenchard, NPR, 23 Aug. 2025
Onkar Ghate, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
Unlike Mare, whose community was cloistered and intimate, Task builds a wider world of dealers, gangsters, and thieves, not always to its benefit.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2025
There’s also a tropical storm circulating, as if the gangsters flew in from the tropics.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
Others are new, building on a genuinely fresh and funny revelation that explains not only a cold open involving yakuza gangsters half a world away in Osaka, but also why this quaint town is sitting on a stash of weaponry big enough to overthrow the governments of several small nations.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025
Inspired by the colonial Singapore gangsters rulers, four girls, at a modern-day regimented elite secondary school form their own gang cam-recording petty acts of rebellion, led by firebrand freethinking lesbian Choo Xin Yu.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
Roman is later gunned down by Hasidic gangsters Lipa (Liev Schreiber) and Shmully (Vincent D’Onofrio), who take Hank hostage.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
The next day, a pair of Russian gangsters, a tall one named Aleksei (Yuri Kolokolnikov) and a short one nicknamed Microbe (Nikita Kukushkin), come by looking for Russ and beat Hank nearly to death.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025
The government sees us as criminals and gangsters.
—Tommy Trenchard, NPR, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangsters
Noun
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Their neighbor, an older Jewish woman, gets arrested and Nazi thugs brazenly loot her apartment.—
Rabih Alameddine
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
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As night falls, armed thugs roam the streets and families pick up guns to protect themselves.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
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On Tuesday, a total of 300 federal agents stormed a South Side apartment building that Department of Homeland Security officials say harbored criminals.—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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Columns speculated endlessly about the men in Mary’s life, her engagement to Daniel Payne and her connection to local criminals.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Advertisement As many of the best villains do, Ok-seon has a sympathetic backstory.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
3 Oct. 2025
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Developed and released by Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc, the game allows players to fight and explore as both heroes and villains from the iconic franchise, following a story mode that takes place in the universe’s Final War arc.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Over $200 Off NFL Sunday Ticket NFL fans can make out like bandits with the DraftKings Sportsbook welcome offer.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
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Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern were cast as the bumbling but dogged bandits, Harry and Marv, and Catherine O’Hara brought humor and compassion to the part of Kevin’s mother.—
Tim Greiving,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Are assassins like Kirk’s killer simply pathological outliers among agitated but otherwise self-restrained populations?—
Ron Barrett,
The Conversation,
2 Oct. 2025
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Brian’s life is saved by Murtagh, who tackles him and rolls him to a hiding spot while the assassins pass.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The police chief is in bed with mobsters.—
Zephyr Teachout,
The Atlantic,
22 Sep. 2025
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This time, the suspects include mobsters and billionaires, which couldn’t be more New York, actually.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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On the other hand, there was also the concept of reading and how to integrate that in the story, how the pirates learn to read, and how words go together.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
20 Sep. 2025
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Leaders in the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) focused on combating pirates and handling trade across the strait as Chinese settlers increasingly moved to the island.—
David C. Kang,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gangsters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangsters. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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