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
The tough, gangsta image that defined late ’80s and early ’90s hip-hop had now been sanded down into something more aspirational and decidedly capitalist.
—
Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 12 May 2025
The Geto Boys used expletives and a lot of bravado, but the core of their message is that a ‘gangsta’ is unafraid to be themselves, and confident in their experience.
—Angela Andaloro, People.com, 9 May 2025
According to Shaw, this is exactly what happened when Tupac later moved to Los Angeles and fully embraced the elevated gangsta image.
—Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Things just ain’t the same for Dre and Snoop, the gangsta-rap godfathers whose rule-breaking crassness and scandalous storytelling helped coax Time Warner to dump its piece of Interscope Records in 1995 under pressure from Senator Bob Dole.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gangsta
Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 12 May 2025
The Geto Boys used expletives and a lot of bravado, but the core of their message is that a ‘gangsta’ is unafraid to be themselves, and confident in their experience.
—Angela Andaloro, People.com, 9 May 2025
According to Shaw, this is exactly what happened when Tupac later moved to Los Angeles and fully embraced the elevated gangsta image.
—Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Things just ain’t the same for Dre and Snoop, the gangsta-rap godfathers whose rule-breaking crassness and scandalous storytelling helped coax Time Warner to dump its piece of Interscope Records in 1995 under pressure from Senator Bob Dole.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gangsta
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangsta
Noun
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Cabello, once Maduro's chief thug, can now be seen sitting across from high level Trump officials in meetings discussing business deals.—
Margaret Brennan,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
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He’s beaten by thugs with a crowbar for an unfortunate outburst, exploited by neighbors in the council estate and arrested, all because people don’t understand Tourette syndrome.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Centered on the filmmaker’s brother, a Chinese gangster living in Spain, the debut feature offers a rare immersion into a world more frequently explored through fiction than documentary.—
Lise Pedersen,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
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McKenzie, a former gangster who spent seven years in prison, was once a spinner and his ministry has promoted the sport in recent years.—
Semafor Staff,
semafor.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Many of the toughest criminals taken into ICE custody were already in prison, but many others who were arrested have no criminal history.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
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In the furthest part of space lies Dante 01, a detention facility that houses criminals who have committed the most shocking crimes imaginable.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In its earlier days, The Boys might have done something with how Nanjiani’s Eternals and Rogen’s The Green Hornet both underperformed, and the Kick-Ass movies in which Mintz-Plasse played a villain left little cultural footprint.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
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Most of his videos, filmed in a local studio or sometimes on the streets of Charlotte, are high-quality shorts showing him in throes of battle with classic villains like Killer Croc or Bane.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gangsta.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangsta. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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