GUNSEL Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

gunsel

noun

Definition of gunsel

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

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

Unfolding over eight episodes, this brash gangster romp is ludicrous enough to be entertaining in its own way; but the dialogue and plotting really are unforgivably bad.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 10 Sep. 2026
Michelle Yeoh stars as a gifted doctor forced at gunpoint to operate on a gangster with a life-threatening condition.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of gangster

Noun

Bobby is open to a partnership with Italian mobster Marco Moretti (Sergio Castellitto) and his unhinged liaison Cico Maldini (Michele Morrone).

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
Working titled Jaq, the show will shoot next year and is part of a wider expansion of the Top Boy universe, with Barry Keoghan returning as Irish mobster Jonny McGee in prequel Jonny Boy.

— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 2 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

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
On a cold night in November 2011, in a field outside Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, a gang of thugs stormed a Soviet scientific research institute, beat and humiliated the staff and burned the place to the ground.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of thug

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

Her bulging eyes, her piercing shrieks, her casual yet immaculately articulate cruelty all come together to form a cartoonish villain who’s also a commanding delight.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2026
The implicit villain in that critique was Senator Joe Manchin, the West Virginia Democrat who refused to go along with changing the Senate rules, dooming many of Biden’s legislative ambitions.

— Isaac Arnsdorf, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of villain

Browse Nearby Words

guns

gunsel

gunsels

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Gunsel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gunsel. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of gunsel

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

volition

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes