as in to sting
to charge (someone) too much for goods or services
since I had forgotten the sunscreen, I was forced to buy it from the concession stand at the beach—where they gouged me for it
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Recent Examples of gouge
Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Apr. 2026
Beyond the claims itself, evidence released in the trial had revealed some unflattering conversations between Live Nation representatives, perhaps most notably a set of exchanges between two regional employees bragging to each other about gouging concertgoers on ancillary fees and parking spaces.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2026
Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2025
The mile-wide, 550-foot-deep gouge people see today was crafted in roughly 10 seconds when the meteorite, traveling at 26,000 mph, crash-landed in what was then a forest of juniper and piñon pines.
—Olivia Rose, AZCentral.com, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gouge
Verb
Run a putty knife along the wet popcorn ceiling to scrape off the popcorn texture, but be careful to avoid gouging the ceiling with the corner of the putty knife.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Apr. 2026
Beyond the claims itself, evidence released in the trial had revealed some unflattering conversations between Live Nation representatives, perhaps most notably a set of exchanges between two regional employees bragging to each other about gouging concertgoers on ancillary fees and parking spaces.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2026
Noun
But hey, whiskey nerds are gonna whiskey nerd and whiskey sellers are gonna gouge.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2025
The mile-wide, 550-foot-deep gouge people see today was crafted in roughly 10 seconds when the meteorite, traveling at 26,000 mph, crash-landed in what was then a forest of juniper and piñon pines.
—Olivia Rose, AZCentral.com, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gouge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gouge
Verb
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And why they were stung by the events of the last few weeks.—
Thomas Nagorski,
Time,
3 June 2026
-
That doesn't mean the verbal attacks haven't stung.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Noun
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DeLuca lists the great crested flycatcher, prothonotary warbler, chickadees, nuthatches, Eastern bluebirds, tree swallows, and purple martins as among birds that will nest in a hollow or snag.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
30 May 2026
-
But the insistence on staying optimistic comes off hollow.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2026
Verb
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The insurance commissioner plays the vital role of making sure that insurance companies aren’t overcharging consumers and unjustifiably denying claims after policyholders’ premiums are paid.—
Riley Bunch,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
-
The risk comes when a battery is crushed, overcharged or overheated.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Noun
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The invention that Edison brought into the offices of Scientific American also used sound vibrations to make a needle vibrate—in his case, by digging grooves into a strip of tinfoil or paper that was embossed with wax.—
Ron Cowen,
Scientific American,
3 June 2026
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Think more divorcée getting her groove back on an unseasonably chilly day, less spring breaker double-fisting piña coladas.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
3 June 2026
Verb
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With no one coming to save him, Santi learned to save himself — cheating cards, running schemes, talking his way into and out of everything.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
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People are robbed, assaulted and cheated.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Noun
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If a foreign object punctures the tread or sidewall, your tire can deflate slowly or quickly, depending on the puncture.—
Jason Fogelson,
AJC.com,
29 May 2026
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Deputies found the victim with at least 10 puncture wounds, the outlets reported at the time.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
Verb
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The National Park Service already implemented a $100 per person surcharge for non-U.S. residents per daily visit to the most popular national parks, and Trump wants to put the change into law.—
Garrett Downs,Gabrielle Fonrouge,
CNBC,
11 May 2026
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Massachusetts law requires utility companies to collect an energy efficiency surcharge on all Massachusetts energy consumers.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Metropolitan Police discovered Riley, whose real name was Mark Orabiyi, in the garden of a residence in the Silvertown area of East London with multiple stab wounds on Friday June, 5, according to an official press release.—
Liza Esquibias,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
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Upon arrival, deputies found all three people suffering from non-life-threatening stab wounds.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gouge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gouge. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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