button man

noun

Definition of button mannext
as in gangster

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for button man
  1. gangster
  2. hoodlum
  3. mobster
  4. mafioso
Noun
  • But when a patient recognizes him from his dangerous past, Brown has eight hours to elude the government, mob hitmen, quack surgeons, and a trail of dead gangsters to somehow beat the reaper.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Somebody like Gilroy or Jeff Kober and Barry Corbin (popping up occasionally as a pair of geriatric gangsters) will come and go in situations knowingly designed to feel contrived.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of gangster
Noun
  • His warning was meant for American eyes and ears at least as much — if not more so — than for the government in Jerusalem that until now has encouraged the hoodlums by tolerating their violence.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Also in his orbit are a consortium of crooks, including his cousin Freddie, a hip junkie, and Pepper, a taciturn hoodlum who was friends with Ray’s dad, Big Mike, a legendary thief.
    — Niela Orr, Vulture, 20 July 2026
Definition of hoodlum
Noun
  • Jay cites the scene in which Tommy DeVito (played by Joe Pesci) threatens Billy Batts (Frank Vincent) with increasingly outrageous acts of violence, turning the mobster’s menace into dark comedy.
    — John Kennedy, VIBE.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • He gets involved with mobsters in a shady loan scheme that lands him in prison.
    — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of mobster
Noun
  • Hawkeye tussles with the Russian mafioso trying to drive residents out of his building, plus meets – and, to a degree, passes the bow-and-arrow to – young heroine Kate Bishop.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 8 July 2026
  • Even as mafioso talk took hold on Views and What a Time to Be Alive, romantic melodrama seemed to be the default setting.
    — Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 20 May 2026
Definition of mafioso
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.

Browse Nearby Words

buttoning (up)
button man
button men
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Cite this Entry

“Button man.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/button%20man. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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