gunsel

noun

Definition of gunselnext
slang
as in racketeer

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 gunsel Generally, Complaining About The Cost is the first page of the playbook for politicians under investigation by special counsels, and for their gunsels and mouthpieces as well. — Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 5 Dec. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gunsel
  1. racketeer
  2. gangster
  3. mobster
  4. hoodlum
  5. thug
  6. gun
  7. triggerman
  8. villain
Noun
  • Of course, entrusting waste management to gangsters and racketeers has repercussions.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 July 2026
  • Ferro pleaded guilty in October 2025 to conspiracy to participate in a racketeer influenced and corrupt organization.
    — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Definition of racketeer
Noun
  • Somebody like Gilroy or Jeff Kober and Barry Corbin (popping up occasionally as a pair of geriatric gangsters) will come and go in situations knowingly designed to feel contrived.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Though Pachinko featured more angels than demons, Lee still convincingly inhabited Koh Hansu, the gangster and groomer.
    — Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of gangster
Noun
  • He gets involved with mobsters in a shady loan scheme that lands him in prison.
    — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Scorsese cast Vincent again in Goodfellas as Billy Batts, a Gambino family mobster.
    — Glenn Garner, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of mobster
Noun
  • His warning was meant for American eyes and ears at least as much — if not more so — than for the government in Jerusalem that until now has encouraged the hoodlums by tolerating their violence.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Also in his orbit are a consortium of crooks, including his cousin Freddie, a hip junkie, and Pepper, a taciturn hoodlum who was friends with Ray’s dad, Big Mike, a legendary thief.
    — Niela Orr, Vulture, 20 July 2026
Definition of hoodlum
Noun
  • The residents occasionally gather in a disused rec center but the meetings devolve into rants about immigrants, junkies, thugs and vigilantism.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026
  • That a Christian man was responsible for the devastation in Oklahoma City certainly didn’t matter to the thugs who terrorized a Muslim woman there, nearly seven months pregnant, by attacking her home, breaking her windows, screaming religious slurs.
    — Reshma Memon Yaqub, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of thug
Noun
  • The gun above School Girls’ mantelpiece is the skin-bleaching cream the girls refer to early in the play.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Prosecutors said Washington had five previous felony convictions, including drug and weapons charges, and was not allowed to possess a gun.
    — Darius Johnson, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of gun
Noun
  • The alleged triggerman was not — John Gurino was gunned down in a 2003 dispute with a Boca Raton deli owner.
    — Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026
  • Broadnax, who was tried as the triggerman, was sentenced to death, while Cummings, who was tried as his accomplice, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
    — Jamie Landers, Dallas Morning News, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of triggerman
Noun
  • Tell me more about William, the actual villain, and what his character represents.
    — Selome Hailu, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Despite Nas emerging as one of the season’s primary antagonists, Kelly doesn’t necessarily view him as a straightforward villain.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of villain

Browse Nearby Words

guns
gunsel
gunsels
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gunsel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gunsel. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All