as in extortion
the exaction of a grossly excessive charge for goods or services
a hotline that consumers may use to report gouging at gasoline stations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in stinging
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of gouging
Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2025
Even if what Weyland-Yutani has is blood-sucking, eye-gouging, and chest-bursting alien monsters.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
There’s no question Newsom — who had spent months excoriating refiners for gouging consumers on gasoline prices, even calling a special legislative session to impose new regulations — changed his tune after two refineries announced plans to shut down.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Time for the city to stop gouging us and start being more responsible with taxpayer money.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Sep. 2025
The residency’s first nine shows were only available to Puerto Rico residents, and when tickets went on sale in January, the prices for all shows ranged between $35 and $250, a rarity in an era of concert price-gouging and Ticketmaster wars.
—Maya Rosenberg, NBC news, 13 Sep. 2025
Minadeo jumped on Buck's back and put him in a choke hold while gouging at his eyes, according to the lawsuit.
—Craig Shoup, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
The only tactics barred were eye gouging, groin strikes, and biting, none of which was especially policed.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2025
Even if what Weyland-Yutani has is blood-sucking, eye-gouging, and chest-bursting alien monsters.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
At least the climactic pandemonium has some of that old REC intensity; Plaza dynamically orchestrates the violence, dazzling the eyes of his audience one minute, gouging the eyes of his characters the next.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
There’s no question Newsom — who had spent months excoriating refiners for gouging consumers on gasoline prices, even calling a special legislative session to impose new regulations — changed his tune after two refineries announced plans to shut down.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Time for the city to stop gouging us and start being more responsible with taxpayer money.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Sep. 2025
The residency’s first nine shows were only available to Puerto Rico residents, and when tickets went on sale in January, the prices for all shows ranged between $35 and $250, a rarity in an era of concert price-gouging and Ticketmaster wars.
—Maya Rosenberg, NBC news, 13 Sep. 2025
Minadeo jumped on Buck's back and put him in a choke hold while gouging at his eyes, according to the lawsuit.
—Craig Shoup, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gouging
Noun
-
Protesters who spoke with Reuters railed against the extortion and violence common in Michoacán, where lemon and avocado farmers are often forced to pay exorbitant bribes to drug trafficking groups.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Justin Baldoni's lawsuit officially ends months after dismissal The case's termination comes four months after Judge Liman granted a motion for dismissal from Lively's legal team because Baldoni's claims of civil extortion, defamation and false light did not hold up under the law.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Rather than rob the story of its teeth, this enabled me to explore the pain, loneliness and personal demons of my characters with sympathy rather than stinging bite.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Seawater keeps the jellyfish’s stinging capsules inert.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The first accounts of cheating and payoffs during exam week surfaced—a blow to the belief in fairness on which the whole system of guilds depended.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
As the film begins, a mother (Kim Hye-soo) and her young daughter (Park Yeon-ah) have just moved into a new apartment after Mom caught Dad cheating.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
California is the biggest target after the state self-reported overcharging the federal government for health care services delivered to immigrants without legal status, determined to be at least $500 million, spurring the threat of a lawsuit.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Sep. 2025
-
California is the biggest target after the state self-reported overcharging the federal government for health care services delivered to immigrants without legal status, determined to be at least $500 million, spurring the threat of a lawsuit.—
Angela Hart,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gouging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gouging. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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