point-shaving
noun
point-shav·ing
ˈpoint-ˌshā-viŋ 
often attributive
: an attempt (as by a member of the team favored to win) to influence the final score of a game so that the predicted winner wins by less than the point spread
Examples of point-shaving in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
No evidence of point-shaving was found.
—
Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Access equals information, which is, essentially, how the sausage is made in point-shaving.
—Dana O'Neil, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
The college point-shaving scandal prompts Long Island University to drop basketball and all other intercollegiate sports.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025
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Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Access equals information, which is, essentially, how the sausage is made in point-shaving.
—Dana O'Neil, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
The college point-shaving scandal prompts Long Island University to drop basketball and all other intercollegiate sports.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Point-shaving.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/point-shaving. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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