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
There’s an observation at the end that this was the only way for immigrants in the 20th century to grasp at the American dream, an idea that churns within all American gangster movies.
—
Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2025
But just as the gangsters put their faith in the would-be hitman to carry out the plot, their lawyers turned to him for a defense.
—Karl Vick, TIME, 21 Mar. 2025
Johnson’s forte is the Manichean gangster movie, in that all his films interrogate the relationship between good and evil.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2025
Peaky Blinders is led by Shelby — played by Cillian Murphy, who is, of course, returning — a war hero turned gangster who runs 1900s Birmingham.
—Lexi Carson, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gangster
Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2025
But just as the gangsters put their faith in the would-be hitman to carry out the plot, their lawyers turned to him for a defense.
—Karl Vick, TIME, 21 Mar. 2025
Johnson’s forte is the Manichean gangster movie, in that all his films interrogate the relationship between good and evil.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2025
Peaky Blinders is led by Shelby — played by Cillian Murphy, who is, of course, returning — a war hero turned gangster who runs 1900s Birmingham.
—Lexi Carson, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gangster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangster
Noun
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The British consul wants to smuggle the seal out of China, with the help of a group of local thugs.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
7 Apr. 2025
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As the machine gun thug tries to seal that deal for Whitman, Cara attempts to get him in her rifle's sights.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This exemption obligates the IRS to assist law enforcement in the pursuit of criminals and will be used against any migrant who has overstayed for more than 90 days as part of the carveout.—
Benjamin Siegel,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2025
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Learning of such proactivity reminds me of how cutting-edge cybersecurity firms now use AI to go on the offensive against criminals.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Whereas Serena could easily have emerged as a one-note villain, from the beginning of her tenure on the series, Strahovski has imbued Serena with a soulfulness that often puts the audience uncomfortably on her side, despite her reprehensible actions.—
Scarlett Harris,
IndieWire,
7 Apr. 2025
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Even when a big threat does arrive on the scene, the heroes aren't there right away, so plenty of innocent people get hurt before a villain gets brought to justice.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Players will have to keep an eye out for bandits and other hostiles in the area.—
Gieson Cacho,
The Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2025
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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
Noun
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And early intensity gave way to a late-game assassin.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
1 Apr. 2025
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Bruce Glover, the unorthodox actor who portrayed Mr. Wint, the assassin with the distinctive aftershave who partnered with Putter Smith’s Mr. Kidd in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever, has died.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This is the original one-man version of the real-life, coming-of-age story of a potential New York mobster performed by the person who wrote and lived it, Chazz Palminteri.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
12 Apr. 2025
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The film tells the true story of the power struggle between notorious crime bosses Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, two New York mobsters once the best of friends before petty jealousies put them on a deadly collision course.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gangster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangster. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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