1
as in tricked
to cause to believe what is untrue
a sleazy schemer who gaffed gullible people into thinking they could get rich with a money-making opportunity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cheated
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
the operators of the traveling carnival had gaffed patrons with a variety of time-honored ruses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaffed
Verb
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According to Noguera, Naso tricked Lambson by posing as a photographer for the Oakland A's, arranging to meet her at Fisherman's Wharf before driving her to Mount Tam, where her body was later discovered.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025 -
Tech support scams in which consumers are tricked by scammers into believing there is a problem with their computers that require the expensive services of scammers posing as customer support employees for the major tech companies constitute a major problem.—
Steve Weisman,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Passed over to his hapless son (Dacre Montgomery), our (anti-)hero wires a shotgun to his head and takes him hostage, claiming that the organization’s business maneuvers cheated him out of a substantial fortune.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
5 Sep. 2025
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The woman lives alone, AFP added, citing local media outlets, and was ultimately cheated out of approximately 1 million yen, or about $6,700.—
Jillian Frankel,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After driving his team to the 1-yard line, Fields fooled the entire Steelers defense on a fourth down, faking a handoff and then high-stepping into the end zone untouched to take a 32-31 lead.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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And don’t be fooled by their small size — these dishes hold a surprising amount of food.—
Mark Marino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Minimalist The latest crop of sleek, minimal leather jackets feel plucked from Gwyneth Paltrow in the 90s, in the best possible way.—
Christina Holevas,
Vogue,
3 Sep. 2025
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There were no stoves in the cabins, so Huse plucked native oranges off the trees to make everyone freezer pies.—
Gabrielle Calise,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Boeing previously admitted that two of its 737 MAX flight technical pilots deceived the Federal Aviation Administration’s aircraft evaluation group about an aircraft part known as MCAS that affected the flight control system of the Boeing 737 MAX.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Sep. 2025
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While many followers recognized the scam early on, some were deceived and suffered financial loss.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The shakeups are the latest at a time when restaurants are squeezed between a labor shortage, rising food prices and a loss of customers as diners cut back on spending.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Sep. 2025
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For now, the three youngest each sleep in their own pack-and-plays squeezed into their parents’ bedroom.—
Jeff Truesdell,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Farnaz Farjam, one of the show’s executive producers, told Deadline that the production hustled to find a way to capture all three elements.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
1 Sep. 2025
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The band hustled to build their social-media accounts, play shows, and produce a new EP.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Sherry recalls one instance that stung in particular, when a friend pointed out his hair loss at a social gathering.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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None stung more than the second inning, when Freddie Freeman led off with a single against Pirates rookie Braxton Ashcraft.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Gaffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaffed. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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