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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gangster
In Season 4 of Godfather of Harlem, Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker) continues his bloody war for control of Harlem against New York’s Mafia families, while contending with the arrival of gangster Frank Lucas (Rome Flynn).
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Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2025
For a movie about an apocalyptic clash of vampires and gangsters, Sinners has moments of unexpected jubilance, even rapture.
—A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2025
But its performance since then has been dismal, with a gangster movie championed by David Zaslav, the chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, flatlining last month.
—Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Mel Novak, the great movie villain known for his slick turns as the sniper Stick in Bruce Lee’s Game of Death, the gangster Blue Eyes in Jim Kelly’s Black Belt Jones and the informant Tony Montoya in Chuck Norris’ An Eye for an Eye, has died.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gangster
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2025
For a movie about an apocalyptic clash of vampires and gangsters, Sinners has moments of unexpected jubilance, even rapture.
—A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2025
But its performance since then has been dismal, with a gangster movie championed by David Zaslav, the chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, flatlining last month.
—Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Mel Novak, the great movie villain known for his slick turns as the sniper Stick in Bruce Lee’s Game of Death, the gangster Blue Eyes in Jim Kelly’s Black Belt Jones and the informant Tony Montoya in Chuck Norris’ An Eye for an Eye, has died.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gangster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangster
Noun
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Letterman may be the obvious precedent but Mulaney’s delivery is less snide than lightly panicked, as if some Netflix thugs have their hands on a switch off-camera, eager to cut to black.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2025
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The Depardieu shtick — his public persona as a crude, working-class thug — was on full display.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Reckless sanctuary city policies create a sanctuary for one class — criminals.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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It is tasked with a broad range of actions — hunting fugitives, transporting federal prisoners and managing goods seized from criminals.—
Faith E. Pinho,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Children meet superheroes and villains, engage with games and movies, and are greeted by staff in costume.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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The soul patch, villain, and walrus facial hair all work with masks while mutton chops and chin curtain don’t.—
Lisa Wood Shapiro,
Wired News,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The caps proved popular with dockworkers, shipwrights and bandits, and, over time, the baker boy hat became synonymous with the newsboy cap (which was actually worn by boys working at newsstands).—
Rosa Rahimi,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
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Security cameras at the church captured images of the bandit, who appears to be an older white woman.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In The Accountant 2, premiering April 25 in theaters, Affleck and Bernthal reunite as brothers Christian and Braxton, who come together to help track down a mysterious assassin.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2025
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The beret-lover with the $20,000 necklace (Lauren McKnight) was the second assassin.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Makeup & Wigs The Alto Knights Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Warner Bros. Two Italian American mobsters, both played by Robert De Niro.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2025
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After a promising opening set in a seedy 1980s club where Billie inadvertently kills the wrong mobster, the second book just doesn’t quite hit its stride.—
Yvonne Zipp,
Christian Science Monitor,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gangster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangster. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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