gateway drug
nounDefinition of gateway drug
: a drug (such as alcohol or marijuana) whose use is thought to lead to the use of and dependence on a harder drug (such as cocaine or heroin)
Examples of gateway drug in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For The Times) Think of this bowl of wontons swimming in chile oil as a gateway drug into the magical world of Sichuan food for friends who don’t like spicy/Chinese/anything-with-cilantro to eat. — Jenn Harrisstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "The best dumplings in Los Angeles, an official guide," 29 July 2019 But the argument for prohibition makes even less sense if Juul serves as a gateway drug and gets kids hooked on nicotine. — James P. Sutton, National Review, "San Francisco’s Vaping Ban Threatens to Push Teens Back Toward Cigarettes," 4 July 2019 For readers with a budding interest in economics, other tomes will prove a more effective gateway drug. — The Economist, "What the music industry reveals about economics," 21 June 2019 The tender white fish is like a gateway drug to cooking with other types of fish. — Audrey Bruno, SELF, "19 Simple and Delicious Ways to Cook With Tilapia," 18 Sep. 2018 Even as users sue the manufacturer for getting them hooked on nicotine, vapes are increasingly the gateway drug of choice. — Angela Chen, The Verge, "Teens are turning away from cigarettes and alcohol and toward vaping," 17 Dec. 2018 My wife thinks the experience will be my gateway drug. — Mike Kerrigan, WSJ, "Bear With Me? Get It Away!," 26 July 2018 But in the movie, that act is merely a gateway drug to the full-on loopiness that follows. — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, "Sorry to Bother You Is a Dystopian Send-Up of Dystopias," 13 July 2018 This is gateway drug comedy, low commitment and easygoing. — Rebecca Farley, refinery29.com, "Your Handy Guide To Netflix's Newest Most Bingeable Show," 3 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gateway drug.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for gateway drug
gateway drug
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of gateway drug
: a drug (such as alcohol or marijuana) that is thought to lead to the use of more dangerous drugs (such as cocaine or heroin)
See the full definition for gateway drug in the English Language Learners Dictionary
gateway drug
noun
gate·way drug
| \ ˈgāt-ˌwā-
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Medical Definition of gateway drug
: a drug (such as alcohol or marijuana) whose use is thought to lead to the use of and dependence on more dangerous, addicting substances (such as cocaine or heroin)
To end at the beginning, nicotine … is now considered a "gateway drug," as it commonly precedes and is comorbid with other substance use.— Donald A. Henderson, The Journal of the American Medical Association, 9 June 1999