rip-off

1 of 2

noun

1
: an act or instance of stealing : theft
also : a financial exploitation
2
: a usually cheap exploitive imitation

rip off

2 of 2

verb

ripped off; ripping off; rips off

transitive verb

1
a
: rob
also : cheat, defraud
b
: steal
2
: to copy or imitate blatantly or unscrupulously
3
: to perform, achieve, or score quickly or easily
ripped off 10 straight points

Examples of rip-off in a Sentence

Noun a daring burglary of the art museum that resulted in one of the greatest rip-offs in history Verb the teens ripped off the store where they had been working for the summer the thief ripped off some jewelry as soon as no one was looking
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Bachelor rip-offs like early Bravo series Boy Meets Boy and Logo’s Finding Prince Charming have, predictably, focused on men, as has Netflix’s Japanese dating show The Boyfriend. Rich Juzwiak, Time, 25 June 2025 Great White Year: 1981 Director: Enzo G. Castellari Runtime: 1h 28m Few Jaws rip-offs are quite as bald-faced in their theft as Great White, an Italian production directed by Enzo G. Castellari. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 21 June 2025
Verb
Since his presidential campaign last year, Trump has leaned into the idea that other countries have been ripping off the U.S. and that tariff rates will be set based on the trade deficit. Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 3 July 2025 The wind ripped off the roof, and the second-floor bricks crumbled, exposing much of the building to the elements. Stephanie Kuzydym, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for rip-off

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1969, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1967, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of rip-off was in 1967

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rip-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rip-off. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

rip-off

1 of 2 noun
ˈrip-ˌȯf
: an act or an instance of ripping off

rip off

2 of 2 verb
ˈrip-ˈȯf
1
: rob sense 1a
also : to cheat someone : defraud
2

More from Merriam-Webster on rip-off

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!