as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
the short, violence-filled life of an inner-city gangsta
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gangsta
Imagine a hardcore Black gangsta rapper going toe-to-toe with a wild-eyed white indie rock freak in makeup and shiny black leather pants, as the two repeatedly, gleefully, refer to one another using racial slurs.
—
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 May 2024
Compared with Lower Delmas and G9 areas, the graffiti is less revolutionary, more West Coast gangsta; there are portraits of 2Pac and Ice Cube.
—Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2023
Jefferson gives audiences just a brief taste of this manuscript, imagining a stereotypical conversation between two gangstas, played by Keith David and Okieriete Onaodowan.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Sep. 2023
The East Coast old guard bristled at dance and found the idea of Southern gangsta rap, and Southern women gangsta rappers, laughable.
—Zandria Robinson, Glamour, 2 Nov. 2021
See all Example Sentences for gangsta 
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 May 2024
Compared with Lower Delmas and G9 areas, the graffiti is less revolutionary, more West Coast gangsta; there are portraits of 2Pac and Ice Cube.
—Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2023
Jefferson gives audiences just a brief taste of this manuscript, imagining a stereotypical conversation between two gangstas, played by Keith David and Okieriete Onaodowan.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Sep. 2023
The East Coast old guard bristled at dance and found the idea of Southern gangsta rap, and Southern women gangsta rappers, laughable.
—Zandria Robinson, Glamour, 2 Nov. 2021
See all Example Sentences for gangsta
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangsta
Noun
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The investigation leads Cole into an ugly world of red-neck thugs and disappeared girls.—
Sandra Dallas,
The Denver Post,
2 Feb. 2025
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How many of you recall the TV image on Jan. 6, 2021, of Officer Daniel Hodges, squashed in a revolving door at the U.S. Capitol, screaming for help as MAGA thugs beat on his head?—
Trudy Rubin,
The Mercury News,
30 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Three Thai women were rescued after a group of Chinese gangsters enslaved them in the former Soviet republic of Georgia in order to harvest their eggs.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
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The film stars Ha Jung-woo as Min-tae, a former gangster who discovers his brother Seok-tae’s lifeless body and learns that Seok-tae’s wife, Moon-young (played by Yoo Da-in), has disappeared.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Many citizens have come to believe that for too long, the rights of criminals have trumped the rights of citizens to be safe and free from violence.—
Pioneer Press,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2025
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Mosby, like other progressive prosecutors, bent laws to tilt the scales of justice in favor of criminals in the name of reform.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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This shortcoming extends to its assortment of villains who, despite including celebrity appearances like AEW wrestler Samoa Joe, fail to leave a memorable impression beyond being yet another obstacle on the way to the end credits.—
Isaiah Colbert,
Rolling Stone,
18 Feb. 2025
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Ant-Man met a villain named Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania who battled multiple versions of himself from different timelines.—
Eliana Dockterman,
TIME,
14 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near gangsta
Cite this Entry
“Gangsta.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangsta. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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