Synonyms of gouging

gouging 1 of 2

noun

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

• extortion
• cheating
• overcharging
• highway robbery
• fleecing
• swindling
• defrauding
• skinning
• chiseling

gouging

2 of 2

verb

present participle of gouge

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

• stinging
• overcharging
• cheating
• surcharging
• defrauding
• soaking
• sticking
• clipping
• fleecing
• skinning
• mischarging

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• undercharging

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of gouging

Noun

For Abbott and for Ken Paxton, who beat Cornyn in an eye-gouging, rabbit-punching Republican Senate primary, the answer was, for all intents, the latter. — Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026

Other advantages include the fact that ownership of compute may reduce dependency on price fluctuations and gouging. — Forbes.com, 27 June 2026

But the buildup to America’s first time hosting the World Cup since 1994 has been nonstop controversy, from exorbitant ticket cost and price-gouging for public transportation to our country’s far-right immigration policies scaring away many would-be visitors. — Greg Cote june 10, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026

The ancient Greek sport of pankration employed techniques from the more structured disciplines of boxing and wrestling, with no rules except for prohibitions on eye-gouging and biting. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 28 May 2026

What Raiff has seen is price-gouging at private airports and terminals. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 May 2026

For its part, CF is clearly sensitive to the inevitable accusations of price-gouging. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026

The public better wake up, because the creativity of the MTA, and Hochul’s gouging of a disinterested and unwise public, have no limits. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026

Furniture pads on the bottoms of heavy furniture help protect laminate flooring from scratches and gouging. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 23 Feb. 2026

Verb

Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping during the war in Gaza led to a decrease in traffic through the Suez Canal, gouging Egypt’s revenues. — ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026

The shrapnel tore through the metal surrounding the engine, shattering the window at row 11, leaving a dent in the plane near row 8 and puncturing the body below the wing, as well as gouging and denting the tail, the NTSB said. — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

The agencies also encouraged states with price-gouging statutes to determine whether enforcement actions are warranted under those laws. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 3 July 2026

Yes, touristy, but not as overrun by price gouging business owners at places like Virginia Beach or Myrtle Beach. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026

To absorb expenses without gouging their customers, leaders must build fiercely lean teams and optimize their talent. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

Michigan's attorney general has opened a price gouging investigation into a BP gas station near Detroit Metro Airport that prosecutors say charged travelers significantly more for gas than nearby stations. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 16 June 2026

The true fans now get painted as the ones who can afford to spend four figures on tickets, book a last-minute flight on price-gouging airlines, take time off work, snatch up a downtown hotel for a couple of days and still have money left over for merch and alcohol. — Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 13 June 2026

Despite more than 2,000 county gouging complaints and an Altadena family’s lawsuit alleging illegally tripled rent, officials say regular market forces and existing rent controls will now dictate prices. — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026