1
: an act or instance of stealing : theft
also
: a financial exploitation
2
: a usually cheap exploitive imitation
ripped off; ripping off; rips off
2
: to copy or imitate blatantly or unscrupulously
3
: to perform, achieve, or score quickly or easily
ripped off 10 straight points
Synonyms
Examples of rip-off in a Sentence
Verb
the teens ripped off the store where they had been working for the summer
the thief ripped off some jewelry as soon as no one was looking
Recent Examples on the Web
Janey Tracey, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2024
The Pooh slasher film took home trophies for worst film, worst director, worst screenplay, worst screen couple and worst remake, rip-off or sequel.
—Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024
The list of authors affected is long, and the rip-offs have blossomed in variety.
—Will Oremus, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024
Does Diddy's blatant Batman rip-off violate SAG-AFTRA's moratorium on franchise costumes for union members?
—EW.com, 1 Nov. 2023
She was convinced that the pristine shoes donated to her nonprofit were rip-offs.
—Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2023
In most cases, 3D was a rip-off — a carny-barker way for studios to jack up ticket prices.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Dec. 2023
The emphasis on political identity — Larson’s RBF, Parris’s anger, and Vellani’s naïveté — recalls the multiracial multiverse gamesmanship in Everything Everywhere All at Once, which was also a Hollywood rip-off of Johnnie To’s female fighters in the Hong Kong film The Heroic Trio.
—Armond White, National Review, 22 Nov. 2023
Alexandre Arnault, the son of Bernard Arnault, will sit on Birkenstock’s board after the I.P.O.
Sales growth has slowed since the pandemic, and there is no shortage of counterfeit products and brazen rip-offs by rivals.
—Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2023
Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
But the Wildcats found their groove and ripped off 20 wins in their next 22 games.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
Checking bank accounts, tax records Even though the Miami bling is what gives the PPP loan schemers a bad name, investigators say that’s not how they usually get caught for ripping off the government program.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2024
But the midlevel kids would be ripped off and lured into terrible contracts with boosters.
—Guy Lawson, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024
New York state seized three moving trucks in 1999 to help satisfy a $250,000 judgment against a company that ripped off customers.
—Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024
The run of smash and grabs began Dec. 12, when authorities allege that Abdullah ripped off nearly $3,000 worth of Burberry items from an Orange County store.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
The impact was so severe that one passenger claimed his shirt was ripped off from the sudden pressure in the cabin.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024
Fortune Boeing needs Spirit Boeing is in discussions to buy Spirit AeroSystems, the supplier that made the door plug that was ripped off an Alaska Airlines flight in January.
—Alan Murray, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024
Noun
Enter Valentine’s Day, a generic, cookie-cutter rip-off filled to the brim with A-list stars and Oscar winners.
—Janey Tracey, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2024
The Pooh slasher film took home trophies for worst film, worst director, worst screenplay, worst screen couple and worst remake, rip-off or sequel.
—Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024
The list of authors affected is long, and the rip-offs have blossomed in variety.
—Will Oremus, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024
Does Diddy's blatant Batman rip-off violate SAG-AFTRA's moratorium on franchise costumes for union members?
—EW.com, 1 Nov. 2023
She was convinced that the pristine shoes donated to her nonprofit were rip-offs.
—Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2023
In most cases, 3D was a rip-off — a carny-barker way for studios to jack up ticket prices.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Dec. 2023
The emphasis on political identity — Larson’s RBF, Parris’s anger, and Vellani’s naïveté — recalls the multiracial multiverse gamesmanship in Everything Everywhere All at Once, which was also a Hollywood rip-off of Johnnie To’s female fighters in the Hong Kong film The Heroic Trio.
—Armond White, National Review, 22 Nov. 2023
Alexandre Arnault, the son of Bernard Arnault, will sit on Birkenstock’s board after the I.P.O.
Sales growth has slowed since the pandemic, and there is no shortage of counterfeit products and brazen rip-offs by rivals.
—Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2023
Verb
One person tried to rip off the vehicle’s license plate, officials said.
—Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
But the Wildcats found their groove and ripped off 20 wins in their next 22 games.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
Checking bank accounts, tax records Even though the Miami bling is what gives the PPP loan schemers a bad name, investigators say that’s not how they usually get caught for ripping off the government program.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2024
But the midlevel kids would be ripped off and lured into terrible contracts with boosters.
—Guy Lawson, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024
New York state seized three moving trucks in 1999 to help satisfy a $250,000 judgment against a company that ripped off customers.
—Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024
The run of smash and grabs began Dec. 12, when authorities allege that Abdullah ripped off nearly $3,000 worth of Burberry items from an Orange County store.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
The impact was so severe that one passenger claimed his shirt was ripped off from the sudden pressure in the cabin.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024
Fortune Boeing needs Spirit Boeing is in discussions to buy Spirit AeroSystems, the supplier that made the door plug that was ripped off an Alaska Airlines flight in January.
—Alan Murray, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rip-off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near rip-off
Cite this Entry
“Rip-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rip-off. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
rip-off
1 of 2 nounˈrip-ˌȯf
: an act or an instance of ripping off
rip off
2 of 2 verbˈrip-ˈȯf
1
: rob sense 1a
also
: to cheat someone : defraud
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