like gangbusters

Idioms  

1. Energetically, forcefully, loudly. For example, This is a soft passage—the horns shouldn't come in like gangbusters. This expression alludes to a popular radio series entitled Gangbusters, which featured explosive sound effects, such as gunfire and sirens, at the beginning of each episode. [Slang; late 1930s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

like gangbusters

You may have noticed that amid all this domestic doom and gloom, China keeps exporting like gangbusters, with industrial production and export sales among the few bright points in the economic story.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

Stewart Goodyear took off like gangbusters in the Mendelssohn piano concerto — fast, efficient, driving — and put aside elegance for hair-raising thrills.

From New York Times ● Aug. 7, 2023

Meanwhile, Exxon has spurned deals in other offshore zones in Brazil that are producing like gangbusters.

From Reuters ● Feb. 14, 2022

She can come on like gangbusters, but even when she creeps in on cat feet, you notice her; she fills a room.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2021

So far, it’s worked like gangbusters, as Richard would say.

From "When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead