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highway robbery

noun
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Definition of highway robbery

1 : robbery committed on or near a public highway usually against travelers
2 : excessive profit or advantage derived from a business transaction

See highway robbery defined for English-language learners

Examples of highway robbery in a Sentence

  1. Charging that much to see a movie is highway robbery!

  2. what some rock superstars charge for concert tickets is simply highway robbery

Recent Examples of highway robbery from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'highway robbery.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of highway robbery

1611

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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highway robbery Synonyms

Synonyms

extortion, fleecing, gouging, overcharging;

Related Words

cheating, chiseling (or chiselling), defrauding, skinning, swindling;

HIGHWAY ROBBERY Defined for English Language Learners

highway robbery

noun

Definition of highway robbery for English Language Learners

  • : the practice of charging a price that is very high and usually unfair for something

Learn More about highway robbery

  1. Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for highway robbery

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highway robbery

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Examples: highway robbery in a Sentence