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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gouge
Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 11 Mar. 2026
Gillett contended the utilities were gouging the public.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 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
In a development as predictable as the Yankees overpaying for talent, viewers grew increasingly weary of getting gouged like that and responded with a wave of cord-cutting that has now ensured that OPM is no longer a viable option for RSNs.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 11 Mar. 2026
Gillett contended the utilities were gouging the public.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 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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With a stinging defeat in the rearview mirror, Charles Lee knows the task at hand for the Charlotte Hornets.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Okay, this one might sting a little.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Maron explained that storms can dislodge baby birds from their nests, sweep young animals out of tree hollows and even flood ground nests used by cottontails and skunks.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Apr. 2026
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Maron explained that storms can dislodge baby birds from nests, sweep young animals out of tree hollows and flood ground nests used by cottontails and skunks.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Baron has worked closely with the attorney general’s office for several years and committed to reimbursing all overcharged insurance claims after first learning about the issue, Riggs said.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
9 Apr. 2026
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Electric scooters use lithium-ion batteries, which can pose a fire risk if overcharged or charged using the wrong charging equipment.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But Odenkirk sounds less interested in settling into that groove than in reshaping it.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
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The 25-sq-m (270-sq-ft) interior, meanwhile, is finished in tongue-and-groove timber, with timber flooring.—
Adam Williams
April 14,
New Atlas,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Teachers are certainly no strangers to cheating.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Everyone in this film has got a con (or five), lying and cheating non-stop, but Wilder doesn't pass judgment.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The pay reality punctures that myth entirely.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
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Pogačar, who had also suffered a puncture earlier in the race, found himself in an ideal position at the front, but that was without reckoning van Aert.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Domestic flights will also get surcharged.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Seemingly on a quest to make a film in each genre, though always through the lens of black comedy, The Lobster was his stab at dystopian, absurdist…romance?—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
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Police said Bullis suffered both gunshot and stab wounds.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gouge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gouge. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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