as in inventing
to copy an idea, a piece of writing, etc., from someone else
She cribbed a line or two from her favorite poet.
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Recent Examples of cribbing
Although his personal favorite interpretation is Craig’s, the actor wanted to focus on the philosophical pillars of the character, rather than cribbing from anyone else’s work.
—
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2026
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cribbing
Verb
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Whereas electricity was powerful in automating physical processes, and the internet moved information faster, neither technology made inventing new things faster.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
24 May 2026
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The dominant technique now isn’t so much inventing a controversy from nothing as choosing which real minor outrage to fuel.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Both are easier than plagiarizing Wikipedia ever was!—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 Apr. 2026
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Rankings influence many disciplines and can mutate values as well as goals, leading academics to such unscholarly behaviors as plagiarizing others’ work, unintentionally manipulating data, or outright falsifying it.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Young musicians frequently attempted to impress him by reproducing familiar Miles Davis styles.—
Bill Fischer,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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The association said the releases are not a sustainable solution to prevent smallmouth bass from reproducing and threaten a critical fund used to operate, maintain and invest in hydropower and transmission facilities.—
Dorany Pineda,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
Verb
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In 2015, when Jay was introducing Tidal, Drake chose Apple Music instead, forging his own path as a mogul rather than teaming up with Jay.—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 June 2026
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Senate Republicans are once again forging ahead with a reconciliation package to fund immigration enforcement agencies through fiscal year 2029.—
Barbara Sprunt,
NPR,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The ever-expanding, replicating, and manipulating series of rooms take scraps and memories of those who pass through it, expanding into something that defies personality or ease.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
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Uribe sued Cepeda for allegedly manipulating witnesses, but the Supreme Court cleared Cepeda of wrongdoing.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Three days after that, Skubal fired 35 pitches in another bullpen session, simulating what would normally be a start day.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
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These models are getting better at simulating reality.—
Nilay Patel,
The Verge,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cribbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cribbing. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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