switcheroo

noun

switch·​er·​oo ˌswi-chə-ˈrü How to pronounce switcheroo (audio)
plural switcheroos
: a surprising variation : reversal

Examples of switcheroo in a Sentence

They changed to a different system without telling anyone that they had pulled a switcheroo.
Recent Examples on the Web The twice-yearly switcheroo is irritating enough to lawmakers of all political stripes that the US Senate passed legislation in March 2022 to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Self-checkout switcheroos involving roof coating and floor patch allowed three men from Miami, Miami Beach and Orlando to defraud Home Depot stores in 10 Florida counties of $101,773, according to state investigators. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024 The one big twist is followed by a whole lot of smaller twists piled on one after the other, leading you to wonder if Vaughn and screenwriter Jason Fuchs (Pan, Wonder Woman) were purposefully trying to find the breaking point regarding an audience’s tolerance for switcheroos. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2024 Six days after that, word leaked that Shurmur would be calling plays at home vs. Oregon State, and sources told me the switcheroo was made right after UCLA — and that Lewis, like O’Boyle, had fallen out of favor with CU’s first family of football. Sean Keeler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Nov. 2023 This whole Week 3 switcheroo drew a few comparisons to the scenario facing Alabama in 2015. Michael Casagrande | McAsagrande@al.com, al, 18 Sep. 2023 That analytical switcheroo irked some outside observers—hence the decision of many FDA advisors to recommend against authorization for the time being. IEEE Spectrum, 13 Dec. 2021 Though Terrance, who eventually moves in with Hen and Junior in preparation for the switcheroo, is also a disruptive force. Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2023 Despite the eleventh hour switcheroo, which almost certainly diminished some support, 49 Democrats and 98 Republicans still joined to support, although the measure fell short of passage. Time, 17 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'switcheroo.' 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

alteration of switch

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of switcheroo was in 1933

Dictionary Entries Near switcheroo

Cite this Entry

“Switcheroo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/switcheroo. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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