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
Relevance
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
Verb
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Prompt injection is a method of tricking LLMs into doing things they are normally prevented from doing.—
Bruce Schneier,
IEEE Spectrum,
21 Jan. 2026 -
While cold can damage plants, weather that’s too warm too soon can also have a negative effect on bulbs by tricking them into sprouting early.—
Andrea Beck,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Abruscato got his own table nearby, while Coogan and Hays sat across from me, squeezing into a small wooden booth.—
Diego Lasarte,
New Yorker,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Hoshoryu, at six foot two and around 330 pounds, dispatched his first adversary handily, squeezing him like an accordion and dancing him out of the ring.—
Joshua Hunt,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Indeed, depth would only get in the way of the plot, which is primarily concerned with fooling you and fooling you again.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Watching Bedard break ankles on a nightly basis like Allen Iverson on skates, attempting one-man rushes most players couldn’t even fathom, fooling elite goaltenders with his patented drag-and-drive release, is exhilarating.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Swedish team accused Canada of cheating, specifically reporting that Canada’s Marc Kennedy was illegally touching his stone.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The state has intervened in districts for reasons such as fiscal mismanagement, cheating scandals and consistently failing academic performance at a campus.—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Neglecting The Kitchen Sink Your sink may look spick-and-span, but looks can be deceiving.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
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But a superficial comparison between Delta, United, and American across certain headline metrics can be deceiving.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Archive footage viewed on old VHS tapes and Super-8 film reveals that Cook was a talented and charismatic musician, plucking away at his Gibson while singing blues standards or original material.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
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Broten remembers Pavelich plucking his guitar and singing Neil Young songs on bus rides.—
Stephen Whyno,
Twin Cities,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Ahead of the release of Morally Gray, Quinn’s social media have been teasing the actor’s upcoming narration with one clip of him notably tapping his wrist, something his Tell Me Lies character did to Grace Van Patten’s Lucy to help reduce her anxiety and calming the nervous system.—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
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Here, Ryan breaks down the ending of the show’s latest chapter, sharing the thinking behind a few key plotlines, and teasing a small detail about Season 4, which is currently being written.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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How does Mick Cronin survive this, sending his own player off the court after hustling hard on defense to get a piece of the ball but unfortunately too much contact and drew a foul.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
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If out of work, hustling this week and next could open doors.—
Kyle Thomas,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Gaffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaffing. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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