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
Sally Pipes, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Inspect the trunk to make sure there aren’t any major gouges to the bark.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2025
Last year, Burns attempted to gouge his wife's eye out during an altercation.
—Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gouge
Verb
PBMs actively exploit this lack of price transparency to gouge patients and employers alike.
—Sally Pipes, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Inspect the trunk to make sure there aren’t any major gouges to the bark.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
Noun
The best way to remove algae, dirt, mildew, and other debris from your deck is with a pressure washer, but be careful not to gouge the wood by getting too close.
—Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2025
Last year, Burns attempted to gouge his wife's eye out during an altercation.
—Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gouge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gouge
Verb
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These pretty pink jellyfish are carnivorous and have stinging tentacles that can reach up to 70 feet long.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
25 Sep. 2025
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Congressional Democrats feel stung by the mass layoffs and program cuts that followed the last stopgap spending deal in March.—
Ronald J. Hansen,
AZCentral.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But something is definitely afoul; the corpses of pilgrims wound in silk clutter the hollows and even the ones that still live are either sad or flat-out nuts.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
19 Sep. 2025
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Detractors wondered if the unending positivity was beneficial in the locker room, if the optimism was starting to ring hollow.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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It would be accompanied by state audits into how spendthrift local governments overcharge for roads, school construction and parks.—
Stephen Moore,
Boston Herald,
19 Sep. 2025
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California is the biggest target after the state self-reported overcharging the federal government for health care services delivered to immigrants without legal status, determined to be at least $500 million, spurring the threat of a lawsuit.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The youngster gets an assist from another former 75er, Deandra (Regina Hall), while Bob quickly needs to get his revolutionary groove back to keep his daughter safe.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
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Cory Ellison has got his groove back.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Job interviews are getting complicated in the age of AI, as ways to cheat the process proliferate.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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But in the premiere, his relentless enthusiasm and chipper choice to cheat won me over.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Safer to claim and puncture by approaching from the side.—
Courtney Kampa,
The Atlantic,
21 Sep. 2025
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Kong said this soft approach helps address risks such as ulcers, puncture injuries, and inflammation, which are often linked to rigid devices inside the body.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But last month, SpaceX raised the demand surcharge to $500, then $750 before finally escalating it to an eye-popping $1,000.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
21 July 2025
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That surcharge alone erodes a meaningful slice of Qatar’s margin advantage over Henry-Hub-linked U.S. cargoes and is already pencilled into 2026 LNG tender models.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
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Officials said the two students taken to a hospital were being treated for stab wounds to the abdomen.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
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Her death was ruled a homicide and was caused by stab wounds to the chest and neck, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gouge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gouge. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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