as in scams
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
a clever hustle that tricked people into revealing their bank account information
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in struggles
to devote serious and sustained effort
everyone really hustled to get the project finished on schedule
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hurries
to proceed or move quickly
we'd better hustle, or we'll miss the train
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in squeezes
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
a swindler who hustled cashiers by getting them all confused while they were making change
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hustles
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Mar. 2026
Cuban may be worth billions today, but his career started with small-time hustles.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Side hustles also encourage better time management and focus.
—Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
The holiday season brings out dozens of holiday-specific hustles, from wrapping packages and running errands to hanging lights or serving appetizers and drinks at Christmas and Hanukkah parties.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2025
Vera Bradley Featherweight Belt Bag Lightweight and versatile enough to go with your travel capsule wardrobe, the Vera Bradley belt bag keeps your must-haves close without weighing you down—perfect for airport hustles, sightseeing days, or errand runs between trips.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2025
In the modern day, more than 50% of young Americans have side-hustles, many of which manifest as artistic pursuits that fulfill their creative passions.
—William Jones, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026
Compared to the behemoth Acela, which hustles hundreds of thousands of riders between Boston, New York City, and Washington DC each month, Amtrak's Mardi Gras line is downright petite—just two 58-seat coaches, plus a café car and a 14-seat Business Class car.
—Kara Newman, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
Most notably, watch here as backup center Oso Ighodaro shuts down Jalen Brunson’s final attempt to tie the score, then Grayson Allen deflects his pass, hustles into the backcourt and banks it off Mikal Bridges’ face and out of bounds.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
The pair goes out and hustles other players with a cunning ruse that relies on the era’s racial and ethnic divisions.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
The film keeps pace through toe-curlingly tense table tennis face-offs, high-stakes hustles, and a jaw-dropping scene involving a bathtub that honestly puts Saltburn to shame.
—Anastasia Sanger, Glamour, 22 Dec. 2025
Families looking for the perfect holiday card shot drive photography hustles in November.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2025
Sylvie hustles out of the party and, presumably, out of Yvette’s life forever.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Monica hustles around all day to cook the perfect meal, which is inevitably ruined (a recurring theme in these holiday episodes).
—Gretchen Hansen, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Nov. 2025
Noun
Marty, who was loosely based on real-life ping-pong legend Marty Reisman, schemes his way to competitions across the globe and hustles for pocket cash.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Mar. 2026
Cuban may be worth billions today, but his career started with small-time hustles.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Side hustles also encourage better time management and focus.
—Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
The holiday season brings out dozens of holiday-specific hustles, from wrapping packages and running errands to hanging lights or serving appetizers and drinks at Christmas and Hanukkah parties.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2025
Vera Bradley Featherweight Belt Bag Lightweight and versatile enough to go with your travel capsule wardrobe, the Vera Bradley belt bag keeps your must-haves close without weighing you down—perfect for airport hustles, sightseeing days, or errand runs between trips.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2025
In the modern day, more than 50% of young Americans have side-hustles, many of which manifest as artistic pursuits that fulfill their creative passions.
—William Jones, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
In games like Tuesday, when that deep postseason run seems realistic, UCLA pops the ball around on offense and communicates and hustles to overcome its deficiencies on defense.
—Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026
Compared to the behemoth Acela, which hustles hundreds of thousands of riders between Boston, New York City, and Washington DC each month, Amtrak's Mardi Gras line is downright petite—just two 58-seat coaches, plus a café car and a 14-seat Business Class car.
—Kara Newman, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
Most notably, watch here as backup center Oso Ighodaro shuts down Jalen Brunson’s final attempt to tie the score, then Grayson Allen deflects his pass, hustles into the backcourt and banks it off Mikal Bridges’ face and out of bounds.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
The pair goes out and hustles other players with a cunning ruse that relies on the era’s racial and ethnic divisions.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
The film keeps pace through toe-curlingly tense table tennis face-offs, high-stakes hustles, and a jaw-dropping scene involving a bathtub that honestly puts Saltburn to shame.
—Anastasia Sanger, Glamour, 22 Dec. 2025
Families looking for the perfect holiday card shot drive photography hustles in November.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2025
Sylvie hustles out of the party and, presumably, out of Yvette’s life forever.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Monica hustles around all day to cook the perfect meal, which is inevitably ruined (a recurring theme in these holiday episodes).
—Gretchen Hansen, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hustles
Noun
-
The scams have been going on since at least 2024.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Hana and some friends turn to crime (credit card scams) and the pressure on them keeps mounting.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The difference is that, while Carolyn struggles to define herself against expectation, John has always obliged expectation.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
-
But some midseason struggles, and a shoulder injury kept him from establishing himself as a rookie starter.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nix almost always hurries his throws when a blitz comes Harvey’s way, regardless of whether the rookie RB picks it up capably or not.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
23 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
It also gets compressed, which squeezes the air and puts even more pressure on it, which heats it up.—
Zoe Mintz,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
As the Iran conflict disrupts energy markets and squeezes jet-fuel supplies, there is a concern that airfares could rise in the weeks ahead.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Their concierge service strives to provide anything guests may require, from a wellness network of massage therapists to a partnership with a local gym.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Heidi is unlike Lauren, who strives for Teen Vogue internships in Paris and New York, and even less like Lauren’s intern rival, Emily Weiss, who would go on to found the billion-dollar beauty brand Glossier and become an emblem of girlboss feminism.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The way Radcliffe scurries out of his chair and into the green room to meet Liu illustrates her visceral impact.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Bridgerton fans can spot the Old Royal Naval College mostly throughout season 2, like when a paperboy scurries across the grounds to deliver the latest gossip from Lady Whistledown in the first episode.—
Kayla Keegan,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But if Rick later plucks something from behind that rock at the fire, are others going to start poking around looking for stuff?—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The first layer, called the Level-1 Trigger, or L1T, harvests 100,000 events per second, and the second layer, called the High-Level Trigger, or HLT, plucks 1,000 of those events to save for later analysis.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Every man and woman who labors in the construction industry deserves that.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hustles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hustles. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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