hustle

verb

hus·tle | \ ˈhə-səl

hustled; hustling\ ˈhə-s(ə-)liŋ

Definition of hustle

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : 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

2a : to obtain by energetic activity —usually used with up hustle up new customerstry to hustle up some tickets to tonight's gamehustling 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 : shove, press

2 : hasten, hurry you'd better hustle if you want to catch the bus

3a : 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

noun

Definition of hustle (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : 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 hustle …— Marilyn Stasio

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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

Her entrepreneurial origin is littered with stories about hustling on weekends and doing weddings at cost, all just to break into a new client base or to win over a reputable venue. — Josh Snider, Popular Mechanics, "The Ferocious Cooking of Fig and Pig," 7 Dec. 2018 Max says his dad stays on top of him to keep working on his game, from ball handling to hustling to shooting to consistency. — Richard Obert, azcentral, "Arcadia guard Max Majerle picks up first Division I hoops offer from his dad," 15 June 2018 Grant Benzinger, a senior guard, hustled over to a young man about his age sitting in a wheelchair on the side on the court. — Josh Peter, USA TODAY, "2018 NCAA tournament: Ryan Custer, injured last year, helps inspire Wright State," 14 Mar. 2018 There’s also a deep irony in how Cousins went down: hustling from the free throw line to grab his own rebound in a close game against the West-leading Rockets. — Nathaniel Friedman, GQ, "Boogie Makes the NBA Better," 30 Jan. 2018 Matt Joyce grounded into a forceout to bring home another run, hustling down the line to beat a double play. — Paul Newberry, The Seattle Times, "Roark roughed up in final spring tuneup for Reds," 25 Mar. 2019 Aside from the awards show cameo, Meghan has been hustling behind the scenes. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle Wears a Fitted Floral Dress on a Solo Visit to a Nursing Home," 18 Dec. 2018 Even so, the action the Friedrichs case sparked in Sacramento, where Democratic lawmakers hustled to help unions, continued even after the case disappeared. — John Myers, latimes.com, "California's politically powerful labor unions have been preparing for this Supreme Court ruling for a long time," 27 June 2018 Bryan and Nikki pooled their remaining cash, borrowed money from a brother-in-law, and hustled to find a new spot. — Hilary Cadigan, Bon Appetit, "The Unmistakable Bryan Furman, Georgia’s New King of Barbecue," 25 June 2018

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