Thesaurus results for GANGSTER

gangster

noun

ˈgaŋ-stər

Definition of gangster

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of gangster New owners Jeremy Fall and Sean Maloney plan to preserve its historic character — and the booth gangster Mickey Cohen preferred — while adding dishes such as fresh ravioli and prime rib frites. — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026 For decades, Hollywood actor Danny Trejo’s bread and butter was playing gangsters, prison inmates and other assorted criminals. — Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026 The world of gangsters and rappers loomed large over the trial. — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026 When citizens rioted in 1918 because the prices of essential commodities such as rice had spiralled out of control, gangsters were hired to crack down on the protesters. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gangster

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangster

Noun

These low-level thugs typically are not believed to be formally aligned with Iran.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
Borisov, who broke through as a thug with a poet’s soul in the 2024 Anora, vests Ilya with the same spiritual contours.

— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of thug

Noun

That same month, criminals nabbed a $4 million diamond necklace from Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts (MAK).

— Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
For decades, Hollywood actor Danny Trejo’s bread and butter was playing gangsters, prison inmates and other assorted criminals.

— Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of criminal

Noun

Rival fans were quick to jump all over this fact, given that both the Panthers and the Tkachuk brothers were seen as polarizing villains throughout the NHL.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Is that the most difficult thing for you as the showrunner of a political show today — a president as a villain?

— Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of villain

Noun

In The Death of Robin Hood, Hugh Jackman plays the bandit of Nottingham, aged and retired to a hermit's life in the wilderness.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
The father pulls over, and the car is immediately swarmed over by bandits, who brutally kill him — plus his wife and two kids — with no mercy.

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of bandit

Noun

Jason Statham is back in action as former government assassin Adam Clay in the buzzy trailer for The Beekeeper 2, which Amazon MGM Studios dropped on Thursday.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
The alleged plot targeting Pannun unfolded at the same time that Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another prominent Sikh separatist and friend of Pannun, was gunned down and killed in June 2023 by assassins outside his gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia.

— Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of assassin

Noun

That first role led to films like Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon and 1983’s Scarface, playing the Cuban mobster Tony Montana.

— Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
But Rankin mentions a Japanese mobster who was asked what the arrival of overseas competitors meant for the ancient codes of yakuza chivalry.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of mobster

Browse Nearby Words

gangstas

gangster

gangsterism

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Style

“Gangster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangster. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of gangster

noun

Example Sentences

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