as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
the argument that the DEA needs to focus more on the kingpins of the drug trade and less on the gangbangers in the street
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Recent Examples of gangbanger
The video, which was played for Lefkow on Tuesday, showed an unidentified man standing out at 26th Street and Spauling Avenue asking where all the gangbangers were.
—
Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Who signed off on gangbanger LaMar Cook being granted access to ship eight pounds of blow directly to Maura’s office suite in Springfield, as well as another 19 pounds of coke to a hotel on the UMass-Amherst campus?
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 29 Nov. 2025
Murdered within about six months of each other at the height of their fame in the 1990s, their deaths spawned conspiracy theories of hitmen, coverups and cops on gangbangers’ payrolls.
—Veronica Bravo, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025
The indictment against the gangbangers, which was unsealed on June 16, follows a Fox News Digital report from April revealing that local leaders were sounding the alarm about the 18th Street Gang sweeping in to take control of the area.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 10 July 2025
Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Who signed off on gangbanger LaMar Cook being granted access to ship eight pounds of blow directly to Maura’s office suite in Springfield, as well as another 19 pounds of coke to a hotel on the UMass-Amherst campus?
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 29 Nov. 2025
Murdered within about six months of each other at the height of their fame in the 1990s, their deaths spawned conspiracy theories of hitmen, coverups and cops on gangbangers’ payrolls.
—Veronica Bravo, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025
The indictment against the gangbangers, which was unsealed on June 16, follows a Fox News Digital report from April revealing that local leaders were sounding the alarm about the 18th Street Gang sweeping in to take control of the area.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 10 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangbanger
Noun
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And Davis’s integrity puts him at odds with his longtime fence, Money (Nick Nolte, nice and growly as ever), who responds by enlisting the services of Ormon (Barry Keoghan), a platinum-blond thug on a motorcycle.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Feb. 2026
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The last major character is Ormon (Barry Keoghan), the thug hired by Nolte’s Money to terrorize his former protégé, and to make sure that any robbery ends with the money in the correct pocket (his).—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Gaetano Milano, a sharpshooting young gangster who renounced the mafia and experienced a religious rebirth after gunning down one of New England’s most ruthless mob bosses, died early this week.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
12 Feb. 2026
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In the film, the twins return from Chicago in the early 1930s, which inspired Carter to turn to photos of Chicago gangsters from the era.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Violence is widespread in the city proper, with large encampments where meth and other drugs are readily available and criminals reportedly exploit the city’s free bus system to carry out offenses.—
Michael Ruiz , Adriana James-Rodil,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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Godwin is well known in the space, having assisted law enforcement nationwide leading to the removal of hundreds of criminals from the streets.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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As the now-45-year-old driver was announced at each racetrack in 2025, Hamlin, after years of embracing the role of villain in a sport in desperate need of one, had a heel-turn to the light.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
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Built into an old limestone quarry, the winery felt like a Bond villain’s secret lair—sleek, subterranean, and wildly impressive.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In the days after Kirk’s death, politicians, law enforcement, and many media outlets tried to parse the meaning of the assassin’s inscriptions—to find a motive or assign blame.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
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As Malcolm navigates the moral complexities of his creation, he is hunted by an unrelenting assassin from the future which forever alters the fate of his three children, reads Netflix’s synopsis.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The story revolves around Davis, the sort of gentleman bandit who thoughtfully returns his victims’ cell phones before making his departure and who, in the grand tradition of cinematic thieves, is looking to get out of the business after that last big score.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
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Fleeing into the desert with her father, she is hunted by a merciless army and forced to trust a legendary bandit (Mackie) with secrets of his own.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gangbanger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangbanger. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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