yakuza
noun
ya·ku·za
| \ ˈyä-ku̇-ˌzä
\
\
plural yakuza
Definition of yakuza
1
: a Japanese gangster
2
: an organized crime syndicate in Japan
Examples of yakuza in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There are long-standing links between the Japanese entertainment world and yakuza crime clans, though they have been weakened in recent decades by laws making it an offense to have any business dealings with the gangs. — Gavin J. Blair, The Hollywood Reporter, "Talent at Japan's Biggest Agency to Pledge Not to Work With Yakuza," 16 July 2019 When Yoshimoto was bought by a consortium of the major TV networks in 2009, there were rumors that one reason was to sever links with the yakuza. — Gavin J. Blair, The Hollywood Reporter, "Talent at Japan's Biggest Agency to Pledge Not to Work With Yakuza," 16 July 2019 But such treatment is more appropriate for a yakuza mobster than an international CEO with no previous record of fraud or self-dealing. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "The Ghosn Inquisition," 26 Nov. 2018 The first two episodes of the show’s 10-episode debut season are devoted to former yakuza enforcer Shun and traumatized bodyguard Lana Pierce (Natalia Tena, known as Osha on Game of Thrones and Nymphadora Tonks in multiple Harry Potter films). — Samantha Nelson, The Verge, "YouTube’s tech-noir series Origin is Lost… in space," 14 Nov. 2018 Think Keanu Reeves playing virtual cat-and-mouse with the yakuza in Johnny Mnemonic, or Michael Douglas pulling off corporate espionage in the world's most grandiose database in the wow-did-that-age-terribly, quasi-erotic thriller Disclosure. — Peter Rubin, WIRED, "VR Is Back in Pop Culture—As a Warning," 29 June 2018 Jared Leto plays an American who becomes a member of the Japanese yakuza in this Netflix thriller directed by Martin Zandvliet. — Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Outsider': Film Review," 8 Mar. 2018 In the 1964 Olympics, Tokyo shooed away its organized criminals, or yakuza. — The Christian Science Monitor, "Why Russians may bare their teeth at the World Cup," 13 June 2018 Tattoos, associated with yakuza, or organized crime, are generally not permitted. — Hanya Yanagihara, Town & Country, "The Transporting Daily Ritual of the Japanese Evening Bath," 8 Dec. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'yakuza.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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