as in extortion
the exaction of a grossly excessive charge for goods or services
the fleecing of the summer tourists seems to be a time-honored tradition on that resort island
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in cheating
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
swindlers who use the telephone to fleece senior citizens out of their savings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fleecing
Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
That gave her the opportunity to hide costs in fake invoices submitted by a close circle of vendors who collaborated with her in fleecing the charity’s funds.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025
Verb
The district also continues to grapple with the shadow of ex-superintendent Devon Horton, who faces federal charges of fleecing District 65 through a kickback scheme.
—Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
That gave her the opportunity to hide costs in fake invoices submitted by a close circle of vendors who collaborated with her in fleecing the charity’s funds.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fleecing
Noun
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Federal prosecutors there indicted Venezuelan nationals accused of participating in organized robberies, kidnappings, extortion schemes and firearms offenses tied to the transnational gang Tren de Aragua.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Persico, 62, was the heir apparent to the crime family in 2023 when he was sentenced to five years behind bars for a labor union extortion plot.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Contessa’s Corner Sports leagues, state gambling regulators and tribal leaders have all raised concerns that prediction market trades on sports don’t have the same level of guardrails as sportsbooks to protect against cheating by athletes, referees, coaches and other insiders.—
Alex Sherman,Contessa Brewer,
CNBC,
9 Jan. 2026
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The predictions were that unleashing AI to the world at large would lead to an exponential rise in cheating at school and that student essays would cease to be original.—
Degen Pener,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In the past, Amazon has suppressed easily accessible buy buttons to prevent price-gouging or pressure brands to lower prices to match pricing on their own website or competitors.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
20 Jan. 2026
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As the tournament approaches, some Kansas Citians have raised concerns over the condition of some short-term rentals, price-gouging, or, at the very least, offering subpar properties for premium prices.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Fresh spinach requires large quantities and multiple steps—blanching, shocking, and squeezing—just to yield a usable amount.—
Amber Love Bond,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The bus ended up completely packed, everyone squeezing together in their parkas like a bunch of marshmallows.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Or plucking Tater Tots straight off the baking sheet and then wiping your hands on your pants.—
Alyssa Brandt,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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Caitlin Looby Last August, Lauren Isbell dove around Mott Island Dock at Isle Royale National Park, plucking invasive zebra mussels from the lakebed – sometimes with her fingers, other times with a credit-card sized piece of plastic attached to a lanyard on her wrist.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Students were hustling around campus, coming and going on the penultimate Saturday of the semester.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
15 Dec. 2025
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The bubbling party scene in New York City was indeed a movie, and Puffy was hustling his way into the leading role.—
Essence,
Essence,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Luhmann, who traveled from Illinois to Minnesota to document the immigration enforcement surge, said his hands were stinging from the different smoke bombs and pepper sprays deployed that day.—
Minneapolis Star Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
-
When treating frostbite at this stage, a person might feel stinging, burning and swelling in the affected area.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Cattano suggests screwing mug hooks into the bottom of kitchen cabinets to utilize that space between the cupboards and the countertops.—
Bridget Reed Morawski,
Architectural Digest,
7 Jan. 2026
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That’s because the president doesn’t care about screwing people.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fleecing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fleecing. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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