gaffing

verb

present participle of gaff
1
as in tricking
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in squeezing
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 gaffing
  1. tricking
  2. squeezing
  3. fooling
  4. cheating
  5. deceiving
  6. plucking
  7. teasing
  8. hustling
Verb
  • Football is all about engaño (trickery) — looking one way and passing the other, feinting to go left and swiftly moving right, manipulating the opposition and tricking them to open up those little spaces.
    — Xavi, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • What’s far more eloquent is the episode with the witch Circe (a terrific Samantha Morton), whose habit of tricking and transforming men into animals is rendered in evocatively physical, body-horror-esque imagery.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 July 2026
Definition of tricking
Verb
  • The depreciation has sounded alarm bells in Tokyo, with rising import costs squeezing businesses and consumers.
    — Mia Glass, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • By squeezing the blocks together with the sample in the center, scientists apply an immense amount of pressure on it.
    — Robin Macaluso, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeezing
Verb
  • Throughout all the commotion, Romelu Lukaku acted as decoy, holding on to the ball, fooling everyone, including the TV producer, who pulled up a graphic showing his recent penalty record.
    — Geir Jordet, New York Times, 15 July 2026
  • Speaking on Harvard Business School’s The Founder Mindset podcast, hosted by senior lecturer and serial entrepreneur Reza Satchu, the Shark Tank investor argued that anyone trying to balance a young company against the rest of their life is fooling themselves.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 17 June 2026
Definition of fooling
Verb
  • In March, the owner of a Colorado funeral home was sentenced to 18 years in prison for mishandling nearly 190 dead bodies, cheating customers and defrauding the federal government through loan applications.
    — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Trump has been accused of cheating at golf many times, but some pro golfers have praised his game.
    — Tom D'Angelo, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheating
Verb
  • Paul has long accused Fauci of deceiving Americans about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
    — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 29 July 2026
  • All the wig and makeup work put into deceiving their people isn’t needed in the first place.
    — Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of deceiving
Verb
  • Dramatic photos taken from the scene show a firefighter on a tower ladder plucking a panicked child from a fire escape.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Now, Yupia appears on Khramov’s debut album, where the horse literally makes music by strumming guitars with his nose and plucking strings with his teeth.
    — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of plucking
Verb
  • Cardi shared on Instagram after teasing the song earlier this week.
    — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026
  • In the comments section of Beer’s Instagram post teasing the video, her parents, Robert and Tracie Beer, voiced their support for the couple.
    — Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026
Definition of teasing
Verb
  • Devers, who finished with three hits, eschewed his power for small ball in the fifth, laying down a surprise bunt for a single, then hustling home on Susac’s sacrifice fly.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 31 July 2026
  • These slim-fit mid-rise joggers look perfect for hustling around a busy airport, but are also stylish enough to wear while sightseeing.
    — Kaitlin Gates, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2026
Definition of hustling
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

gaffes
gaffing
gaffs
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Cite this Entry

“Gaffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaffing. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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