as in to sting
to charge (someone) too much for goods or services
since I had forgotten the sunscreen, I was forced to buy it from the concession stand at the beach—where they gouged me for it
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gouge
Roger Vincent,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Adele got a nonspeaking part in the human machine that would gouge the prisoner’s sentence into the officer’s body.
—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Dennis Valera,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
But hey, whiskey nerds are gonna whiskey nerd and whiskey sellers are gonna gouge.
—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gouge
Verb
Despite more than 2,000 county gouging complaints and an Altadena family’s lawsuit alleging illegally tripled rent, officials say regular market forces and existing rent controls will now dictate prices.
—
Roger Vincent,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Adele got a nonspeaking part in the human machine that would gouge the prisoner’s sentence into the officer’s body.
—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Noun
Things escalated to the point Alexander Stephenson allegedly bit the left thumb of the one driving, and tried to scratch or gouge the other child's eyes.
—
Dennis Valera,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
But hey, whiskey nerds are gonna whiskey nerd and whiskey sellers are gonna gouge.
—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gouge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gouge
Verb
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Home Depot and rival Lowe’s must also confront a weak housing market, which has been stung by stubbornly high interest rates and rising building material expenses.
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Christie Ray/Queen Bee Supply via AP A photojournalist from CBS affiliate KDFM also captured video despite being stung , the station reported.
Noun
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Groups of amateur sleuths also cropped up in the hollows of tragedy to wrestle with the case and analyze rumors swarming the Horman family in online forums, echoing a familiar pattern of behavior on the internet in the face of long-unsolved criminal cases.
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That single number makes every record-high headline ring hollow.
Verb
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Some said pharmacists could overcharge for a drug that normally costs pennies per pill.
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What follows is less about whether you are being overcharged and more about who, exactly, is deciding your number.
Noun
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Look for live DJs on the weekends as the brand-new bar hits its groove.
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Both attacks seem to be finding a groove, as just one goal in the second half could feel like an insurmountable advantage in this type of match.
Verb
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The fans were cheated Sunday out of a chance to see an interesting pitching matchup between Shota Imanaga and Dylan Cease, the former Cubs farmhand and former White Sox pitcher.
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For example, a spouse who catches their partner cheating and kills someone in the heat of emotion.
Noun
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Sure enough, all tires were up and there were no obvious punctures or hissing sounds.
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Strike suffered a broken leg and a series of puncture wounds, WECT reports.
Verb
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The National Park Service already implemented a $100 per person surcharge for non-U.S. residents per daily visit to the most popular national parks, and Trump wants to put the change into law.
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Massachusetts law requires utility companies to collect an energy efficiency surcharge on all Massachusetts energy consumers.
Noun
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Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said an examination found no evidence of traumatic injury, including bruising, lacerations, gunshot wounds, stab wounds, blunt force trauma, strangulation or other external injuries.
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This question stabs at the heart of the culture war that is currently raging in America.
Cite this Entry
“Gouge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gouge. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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