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
Green was living with extended family in North Carolina, then lived in a domestic violence shelter and a homeless shelter when his mother regained custody, then was placed into foster care before living with a cousin whose sons were gangbangers.
—
John Annese, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2025
Aurora, Colorado, has been plagued with crime linked to the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) and now the city’s mayor is accusing his Denver counterpart of not being truthful about how the gangbangers – and other migrants – ended up in his city in the first place.
—Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 7 Jan. 2025
Listen to this article Loading your audio article Two gangbangers responsible for killing a 22-month-old boy at a Brooklyn cookout have been convicted of the tot’s slaying, in a pair of trials that covered an array of death and destruction caused by the bloodthirsty Hoolie gang.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2024
The group aspired to paint a fuller, more nuanced picture that went beyond the image of a gangbanger.
—Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2023
Far from a gangbanger, Yarl was described later in a statement by North Kansas City School District Superintendent Dan Clemens as an excellent student and a talented musician who maintains a stellar GPA while taking mostly college-level courses — far from a criminal profile.
—Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2023
Puppet is probably the mark of the gangbanger who drew the X8.
—Adam Hadhazy, Discover Magazine, 26 Sep. 2012
The trajectory from gangbanger in South San Gabriel to city poet laureate and bestselling author would have been dramatic enough.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2022
Despite making up 18% of the U.S. population, the usual stereotypes of the gangbanger, the day laborer, the janitor, the maid, and the exotic Latina continue to be seen on the big screen.
—AZCentral.com, 15 Sep. 2021
John Annese, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2025
Aurora, Colorado, has been plagued with crime linked to the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) and now the city’s mayor is accusing his Denver counterpart of not being truthful about how the gangbangers – and other migrants – ended up in his city in the first place.
—Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 7 Jan. 2025
Listen to this article Loading your audio article Two gangbangers responsible for killing a 22-month-old boy at a Brooklyn cookout have been convicted of the tot’s slaying, in a pair of trials that covered an array of death and destruction caused by the bloodthirsty Hoolie gang.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2024
The group aspired to paint a fuller, more nuanced picture that went beyond the image of a gangbanger.
—Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2023
Far from a gangbanger, Yarl was described later in a statement by North Kansas City School District Superintendent Dan Clemens as an excellent student and a talented musician who maintains a stellar GPA while taking mostly college-level courses — far from a criminal profile.
—Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2023
Puppet is probably the mark of the gangbanger who drew the X8.
—Adam Hadhazy, Discover Magazine, 26 Sep. 2012
The trajectory from gangbanger in South San Gabriel to city poet laureate and bestselling author would have been dramatic enough.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2022
Despite making up 18% of the U.S. population, the usual stereotypes of the gangbanger, the day laborer, the janitor, the maid, and the exotic Latina continue to be seen on the big screen.
—AZCentral.com, 15 Sep. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangbanger
Noun
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The 20th-century Yellowstone Dutton Ranch is under siege from a greedy developer (James Bond star Timothy Dalton) and his thugs in the new season.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA TODAY,
24 Feb. 2025
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But authorities now believe the most heinous acts were the handiwork of a one-time nursing student from Puerto Rico who evolved over a decade from teenage burglar to drug trafficker to rampaging thug.—
Martin E. Comas,
Orlando Sentinel,
30 Jan. 2025
Noun
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In her ethnographic study of Jamaican gangs, Jaffe argues against seeing the neighborhood strongmen—or dons—as primarily violent, exploitative gangsters.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
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Lives are literally on the line in Vivian Qu’s genre hybrid Girls on Wire, a surprisingly gritty study of people left behind or living in the margins that fuses gangster realism with social drama and leavens both with a dash of unexpected humor.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Only criminal hacking is a crime, and not all hackers are criminals.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
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Officers says there are many reasons people use fake plates: criminals hoping to avoid being tracked by law enforcement, evading fines on toll roads, or people trying to find a way to drive without a driver’s license or insurance.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Hackman was among the most accomplished actors of his generation, appearing as villains, heroes and antiheroes in dozens of dramas, comedies and action films from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.—
SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN,
arkansasonline.com,
2 Mar. 2025
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There are spells, curses, vendettas, a twist villain, giant dragons who turn into humanoid warriors and many other creatures populating the world of this gargantuan feat of eye-popping computer animation.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Production is set to begin in coming months on the movie about a horticulturalist who moonlights as an assassin.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2025
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Twice in this story, Nadia describes her desire to become an assassin—not a killer for hire but someone who kills bad guys pro bono.—
Willing Davidson,
The New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2025
Noun
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With Kelby Collins coming in as a transfer, there’s enough depth at bandit for Latham to spend more time at wolf.—
Kennington Smith III,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
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Try to distract the bandits one at a time until everyone but Casper is left.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gangbanger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangbanger. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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