rip off

verb

ripped off; ripping off; rips off

transitive verb

1

a

: rob

also : cheat, defraud

ripped off some unsuspecting tourists

b

: steal

sneakily ripping off store merchandise

2

: to copy or imitate blatantly or unscrupulously

The film ripped off a better one made years ago.

3

: to perform, achieve, or score quickly or easily

ripped off 10 straight points

Synonyms of rip off

• rob
• steal (from)

Examples of rip off in a Sentence

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

One of the biggest concerns is that scammers will try to rip off fans with the sale of counterfeit items and services, including tickets to the 13 matches Mexico will host. —Michael Rios, CNN Money, 10 June 2026

In Antioch, there were reports of siding ripped off of buildings and small tree limbs downed by the winds. —Laura Bannon, CBS News, 10 June 2026

Videos shared on social media showed some fans clashing with police officers, and other videos captured apparent Knicks fans attacking San Antonio fans on the streets, ripping off their Spurs jerseys. —Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 9 June 2026

Trump's displeasure eventually culminated in him ripping off his lapel mic and storming off the set. —Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for rip off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

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

: steal entry 1 sense 2a