Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🏆 Very successful 👮 Crime-fighting officer 💥 Very energetic
gangbuster

gangbuster

1 7.5
A police officer who works hard to break up gangs
  • noun
  • /ˈɡæŋˌbʌstər/
  • Informal
translation icon : agente antidelincuencial
  • The mayor praised the gangbuster for his relentless fight against organized crime.

Examples

  • As a seasoned gangbuster, she coordinated several operations to capture gang leaders effectively.

  • The new police chief quickly earned a reputation as a gangbuster in the city.

  • After dismantling several criminal organizations, she was called a true gangbuster by her colleagues.

  • The gangbuster arrested several members of the notorious gang.

  • Officer Smith is a real gangbuster in the fight against crime.

  • The gangbuster worked tirelessly to dismantle the organized crime rings in the city.

  • The police department hired a new gangbuster to tackle the increasing violence in their neighborhoods.

How Aggressive

SWAT team
  • US
49 3.9
gangbuster
  • Informal
1 7.5
task force
153 3.3
police officer
560 1.1
detective
∞ 2.7

Surface Forms

gangbuster singular
gangbusters plural

Morphology

gangbuster = gang + buster (transparent) = gang + buster

This sense is the literal agentive meaning 'one who busts gangs', directly derivable from 'gang' + 'buster'.

Etymology

Gangbuster originally meant a person who 'busts' gangs, a police officer who breaks up criminal groups. That's why a gangbuster is used for an officer known for strong, energetic action against gangs.