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gouges 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of gouge
as in stings
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

gouges

2 of 2

noun

plural of gouge
as in grooves

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of gouges
Verb
In 2017, he was recalled after backing the $5 billion yearly gas tax that still gouges at the pump. — John Seiler, Oc Register, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gouges
  1. stings
  2. grooves
  3. overcharges
  4. hollows
  5. cheats
  6. punctures
  7. punches
Verb
  • The pain of losing Hollywood actor Heath Ledger nearly 20 years ago still stings for his on-screen Dark Knight family.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026
  • There is a feeling of humiliation that stings long after an event has passed.
    — Wilbert L. Cooper, Longreads, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of stings
Noun
  • On a map, Newfoundland is a vast, asymmetrical island, cloven by bays and inlets, semi-detached to appendages of land deformed by ancient glaciers scraping over it, leaving glacial striations, grooves and gouges on its granite face.
    — Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
  • While hunter-gatherers from that time are known to have used their teeth as tools — holding, breaking, stretching things — none of those uses matched the grooves on these teeth.
    — Pien Huang, NPR, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of grooves
Verb
  • The most recent tally for 2024 shows overcharges ranging up to $480 per residential account.
    — Ed Hirs, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • An electronic safety system monitors each cell during operations, avoiding both under- and overcharges.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Aug. 2017
Definition of overcharges
Noun
  • As long as you nestle each new layer into the hollows below, either method will ultimately lead to a version of the same structure, with a density of about 74 percent.
    — Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Arcadia Valley Missouri The hills, hollows, caves, and springs of the Missouri Ozarks all promise great fall drives.
    — Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of hollows
Verb
  • Any forward who cheats for defence, as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has for much of his career, will play an elevated role on a Babcock team.
    — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 26 June 2026
  • Though Lesnar rarely cheats to win, Femi isn’t going to lose clean.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Definition of cheats
Noun
  • After a minute of this, the crash of hi-hat punctures the silence.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • According to the Mayo Clinic, Pilonidal disease usually occurs when hair punctures and embeds itself in a pocket of skin near the tailbone.
    — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of punctures
Noun
  • And by the way, with how shifty rookie Emmett Johnson has been at this level, Kansas City may quietly have one of the league’s best one-two punches.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
  • According to court testimony, Griffin’s younger brother had gotten into an argument; punches were thrown, and the younger brother fell or was pushed.
    — Jenisha Watts, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of punches

Browse Nearby Words

gougers
gouges
gouging
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Cite this Entry

“Gouges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gouges. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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