hustle

1 of 2

verb

hus·​tle ˈhə-səl How to pronounce hustle (audio)
hustled; hustling ˈhə-s(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce hustle (audio)

transitive verb

1
a
: to crowd or push roughly : jostle, shove
had been hustled into a jail cell with the other protesters
b
: to convey forcibly or hurriedly
… grabbed him by the arm and hustled him out the door …John Dos Passos
c
: to urge forward precipitately
hustling tourists from one museum to the next
2
a
: to obtain by energetic activity
usually used with up
hustle up new customers
try to hustle up some tickets to tonight's game
hustling up some grub
b
: to sell something to or obtain something from (someone) by energetic and especially underhanded activity : swindle
hustling the suckers
an elaborate scam to hustle the elderly
c
: to sell or promote energetically and aggressively
hustling a new product
d
: to lure less skillful players into competing against oneself at (a gambling game)
hustle pool

intransitive verb

1
2
: hasten, hurry
you'd better hustle if you want to catch the bus
3
a
: to make strenuous efforts to obtain especially money or business
Our quartet was out hustling … and we knew we stood good to take in a lot of change before the night was over.Louis Armstrong
b
: to obtain money by fraud or deception
c
: to engage in prostitution
4
: to play a game or sport in an alert aggressive manner
She's not the most talented player on the team, but she always hustles.

hustle

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: energetic activity
I … went about the hustle of summer life.Stephen W. Kress
You stepped out of Penn Station into the dizzying hustle of Eighth Avenue …Colson Whitehead
I enjoy the hustle and bustle of the city.
b
chiefly US : effort and energy in playing a sport
a baseball player who has been criticized for lack of hustle
The fans admire them for their hustle.
a player known more for his hustle than his talent
2
informal : a dishonest plan for getting money : scam
Now, the secret of any hustle is that you have to have information that the other guy doesn't have.Paul Newman
… a once-inspired con man on his last hustleMarilyn Stasio

Examples of hustle in a Sentence

Verb The guards hustled the prisoners into the jail. The star's manager hustled him out the back door of the theater to avoid the throngs of fans. He's not the most talented player on the team, but he always hustles. He's been hustling drugs for a few years. They hustle diamonds, furs—whatever people are buying.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
When officers finally entered his classroom, he was hustled out with other students and loaded onto a school bus to get to the hospital as ambulances could not get through to the school. Rachel Clarke, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 The Warriors had hustled down the floor for a final shot, but David Mack’s wild 3-point try missed badly. John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Feb. 2024 And just as the entire audience is about to drown in tears, McGee comes back to hustle them out. Sara Netzley, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2024 After Andrews gave the Bruins the lead, seemingly forcing the Utes to hustle downcourt with no timeouts, Cronin called a timeout. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2024 Marte hustled like old times on the sidewalk, telling people about his store in Spanish and in very basic Chinese. Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 But President Joe Biden is nowhere to be seen in the Granite State this year, even as no-chance Democratic challengers like New Age guru Marianne Williamson and U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips hustle for votes here, thanks to a collision between the national Democratic Party and New Hampshire law. Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2024 There are vanishingly few people who can bend our current, fragmented internet to their will; the rest of us have to hustle, throwing posts at the wall to see what sticks. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2024 The lasting image, however, was Boldy hustling after a loose puck in the offensive zone to create a turnover before banking a long-range shot off of Vegas goaltender Adin Hill and into the back of the net. Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 13 Feb. 2024
Noun
But despite its proximity to the hustle and bustle, the property—which overlooks the Tjampuhan Valley and River Oos—still feels like a true sanctuary. Annie Daly, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024 Just 51 miles away from New Orleans, Bay St. Louis couldn't feel further from the hustle and bustle. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024 For a whole year, literally everyone is doing the hustle. Anastasija Oleinika, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 There was the agony of breaking his hand in the playoff opener against Milwaukee, on a hustle play diving to the floor, and not being able to participate in last season’s run to the NBA Finals. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 Here's the premise: A group of single women leave behind the hustle and bustle of city life for the charms of country living, vying for the love of rural America's most eligible bachelors. The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024 The highs and lows of his journey are a testament to his conviction to the work, sticking to the hustle even when life can be unforgiving. Rolling Stone, 14 Feb. 2024 Escape the hustle of the Strip and unwind at The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa. Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2024 People ready to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life are looking to discover tranquility along a picturesque beach. USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hustle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Dutch husselen to shake, from Middle Dutch hutselen, frequentative of hutsen

First Known Use

Verb

1720, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1897, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hustle was in 1720

Dictionary Entries Near hustle

Cite this Entry

“Hustle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hustle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hustle

verb
hus·​tle ˈhəs-əl How to pronounce hustle (audio)
hustled; hustling ˈhəs-(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce hustle (audio)
1
: to push, crowd, or force forward roughly
hustled the prisoner to jail
2
: to move or work rapidly and tirelessly
3
: to sell something to or get something from by energetic and especially dishonest activity
hustle noun
hustler noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hustle

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