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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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.
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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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Long maintaining that the protesters are just thugs, Najmeh painfully removes the rounds from Sadaf’s bleeding wounds, her assumptions about the government she’s loyally obeyed falling away.Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024
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The society of Iverson’s youth rendered him an unredeemable thug and jailed him for it as a minor.Marcus Thompson II, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Rolling with the sound of Slo-Be Bryant 3, one of the great West Coast tapes of the 2020s, Slo-Be’s steely, ominous murmurs give his sentimental gangster rap the air of sorcery.Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 9 Dec. 2024
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However, as the volatile gangster, the caregiver and bumbling daddy’s boy begin to plot and scheme, things don’t exactly go according to plan.Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The film focuses on young Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) — who's accidentally left home alone over the holidays — and his clever plans to outwit a pair of criminals trying to rob his home on Christmas Eve.Athena Sobhan, People.com, 8 Dec. 2024
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Trump has said deportations will focus on criminals first, as immigration enforcement has since former President Barack Obama's presidency.Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, 8 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Or even an appearance from Tom Holland’s Peter Parker that would mean two hours haven’t been wasted watching this forgettable origin tale of a villain who’s not really THAT bad.Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
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The Grinch bore a striking resemblance to Jim Carrey's version of the beloved Christmas villain.Rachel Raposas, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Gangsta.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangsta. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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