heist

1 of 2

verb

ˈhīst 

heisted; heisting; heists

transitive verb

1

chiefly dialectal : hoist

2

a

: to commit armed robbery on

b

: steal sense 1a

heist

2 of 2

noun

: armed robbery : holdup

also : theft

Synonyms of heist

Verb

• steal

Noun

• theft

Examples of heist in a Sentence

Verb

a professional burglar was able to heist a box of jewelry from the safe in the closet

Noun

it was the largest jewelry heist in the city's history

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

An unusual criminal ring focused entirely on heisting semi-trucks, trailers and dump trucks has been busted in Florida, resulting in $6 million worth of heavy equipment being found, according to investigators. — Mark Price, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2025

And Bannon got directly to business, spinning a tale to his viewers of Democrats plotting to heist the 2024 election. — Tess Owen, WIRED, 29 Oct. 2024

Noun

Daniel Kunka, who penned the Kevin Hart heist movie Lift and John Cena action movie 12 Rounds, will write the adaptation, with Steve Pink, best known as the helmer of comedies Hot Tub Time Machine and Accepted, attached to direct. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026

During a daytime heist that took place almost exactly one year ago, in October 2025, thieves stole million in French crown jewels collectively valued at $102 million, some of which have still not been recovered. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

variant of hoist entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1778, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1930, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for heist

• diced
• feist
• iced
• lysed
• priced
• sliced
• spiced
• spliced
• triste
• antichrist
• overpriced
• poltergeist

Kids Definition

heist

noun

ˈhīst

: armed robbery

also : theft

Etymology

Noun

from a dialect variant of hoist "an act of hoisting"