yakuza
noun
ya·ku·za
ˈyä-ku̇-ˌzä 
plural yakuza
1
: a Japanese gangster
2
: an organized crime syndicate in Japan
Examples of yakuza in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Advertisement Dong-ju finally takes Ju-yeong down Before Ju-yeong can get onto a boat, he is intercepted by the yakuza.
—
Kayti Burt, Time, 21 July 2025
With the exception of one strange, teasingly surreal scene, which conjures the feel of a yakuza thriller set somewhere between a criminal underworld and a metaphysical overworld, Kurosawa sidesteps any hint of the supernatural.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 July 2025
The result is shrinking yakuza groups that nowadays largely make headlines for disbanding, pursuing new law-abiding lives, or promising to behave.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 19 May 2025
So, while this film is about a yakuza, the heart of the story is showing the life of someone who’s kind of gone off the rails in society.
—Kambole Campbell, Variety, 12 June 2025
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Kayti Burt, Time, 21 July 2025
With the exception of one strange, teasingly surreal scene, which conjures the feel of a yakuza thriller set somewhere between a criminal underworld and a metaphysical overworld, Kurosawa sidesteps any hint of the supernatural.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 July 2025
The result is shrinking yakuza groups that nowadays largely make headlines for disbanding, pursuing new law-abiding lives, or promising to behave.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 19 May 2025
So, while this film is about a yakuza, the heart of the story is showing the life of someone who’s kind of gone off the rails in society.
—Kambole Campbell, Variety, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for yakuza
Cite this Entry
“Yakuza.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yakuza. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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