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Glite Dictionary
👮 Crime fighters 🚀 Very successfully
gangbusters

gangbusters

1 8.0
People who act forcefully to break up criminal gangs, often police teams
  • noun
  • /ˈɡæŋˌbʌstərz/
  • Informal
translation icon : agentes antidelincuenciales

Examples

  • And this is when we first meet Gangbusters.

    To Die For (1995)

  • The new task force is made up of gangbusters who are determined to take down the local crime syndicate.

  • The gangbusters worked tirelessly to investigate and dismantle the drug trafficking operation in the city.

  • The gangbusters received commendations for their bravery in confronting the violent gang on the streets.

Synonyms

vigilante
vsgangbusters
150 8.1

A person who enforces the law or punishes criminals without legal permission

is official and backed by legal authority rather than acting privately
goon squad
vsgangbusters
  • NSFW
3 9.3

A group of people who use force to scare or hurt others, often hired to do this

is official crime fighters acting to break up gangs not hired intimidators
gangbuster
vsgangbusters
  • Informal
1 7.5

A police officer who works hard to break up gangs

is the same meaning but refers to multiple people rather than a single agent

Idioms

like gangbusters
  • Informal
6 8.1

Very quickly and with great success

to sell like gangbusters
  • Informal
1 7.2

Many people buy it very quickly

to take off like gangbusters
  • Informal
8.2

Become very popular or successful very quickly

How Aggressive

SWAT team
  • US
49 3.9
gangbusters
  • Informal
1 8.0
task force
153 3.3
police officer
560 1.1
patroller
4 3.6

Surface Forms

gangbusters plural

Etymology

Gangbusters as a noun names people who strongly fight gangs. It comes from the same radio show and the verb bust meaning 'to break' or 'to arrest', so gangbusters are teams or officers who break up criminal groups.