as in thug
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gangster
Ineffably, Renko’s qualities of solidity and rebelliousness bring my father back to me, and the whole 11-book series, set mostly in Russia (with excursions to Cuba and the Arctic Circle), is a galloping wonder, full of apparatchiks, spies, oligarchs, gangsters, and murders galore.
—
Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 16 July 2025
Aside from the already extraordinary tale of the O’Leary clan, Jim O’Leary led a life of adventure as a main cog for the city’s infamous gambling operations at a time when gangsters battled over control of the Prohibition liquor trade.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2025
As soon as movies proved to be an incredibly profitable enterprise, rivaling that of the Gilded Age titans, the industry attracted a range of investors, business leaders, bankers, and gangsters.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2025
By World War II, Superman had a much greater fight at hand than local gangsters and villains like Lex Luthor.
—Samantha Baskind, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for gangster
Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 16 July 2025
Aside from the already extraordinary tale of the O’Leary clan, Jim O’Leary led a life of adventure as a main cog for the city’s infamous gambling operations at a time when gangsters battled over control of the Prohibition liquor trade.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2025
As soon as movies proved to be an incredibly profitable enterprise, rivaling that of the Gilded Age titans, the industry attracted a range of investors, business leaders, bankers, and gangsters.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2025
By World War II, Superman had a much greater fight at hand than local gangsters and villains like Lex Luthor.
—Samantha Baskind, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for gangster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangster
Noun
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The 18th Street thugs then attacked a second victim with large wooden planks, causing lacerations that required sutures.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
10 July 2025
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Plus, she wasn’t forced to live in a remote jungle compound surrounded by gun-toting thugs, because no one was coming after her.—
Sam Kelly,
Time,
8 July 2025
Noun
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Anti-crime priorities In his remarks, Abbott also unveiled some get-tougher-on crime proposals, including eliminating parole for criminals convicted of child trafficking.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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And despite promises by the administration to remove the worst criminals, ICE deportation data from Jan. 1 to June 24 shows most people who were removed or detained didn’t have a violent criminal record, CBS News reported.—
Natalie Demaree,
Miami Herald,
28 July 2025
Noun
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In 1994, Hogan joined WCW and reinvented himself as a villain, forming the New World Order (nWo) and ushering in a new era of edgy storytelling.—
Hannah Parry
Amanda Castro
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
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The film is currently filming in London with Joe and Anthony Russo, the directors behind the highest-grossing MCU movies ever, back behind the camera; Downey now playing the chief villain; and a slew of stars from the lost era of Fox's X-Men movies reprising their roles for the first time in years.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
24 July 2025
Noun
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The film, which celebrated its 70th anniversary last year, follows a group of seven samurai warriors who save a little village from annihilation at the hands of a group of bandits in 15th-century Japan.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
22 July 2025
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Riri joins their band of bandits — hacker Slug (Shea Couleé), pyrotechnic master Clown (Sonia Denis), enforcers Jeri (Zoe Terakes) and Roz (Shakira Barrera) aka the Blood Siblings.—
Ronda Racha Penrice,
HollywoodReporter,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Ten years later, Jack and Jackie fell in love—and two months later, Jack was killed by an assassin’s bullet in Dallas, Texas.—
Rachel Burchfield,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
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After 50-plus years behind bars, Houten walked out in 2023. — In 2022, Newsom rejected the release of Robert F. Kennedy assassin Sirhan Sirhan — which parole commissioners had recommended.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
17 July 2025
Noun
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In 1967, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison after being convicted of jury tampering, fraud, and using pension funds to pay mobsters in exchange for kickbacks.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Aug. 2025
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Dirty dealings, double-crosses, cops vs mobsters, moles vs moles.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gangster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangster. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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