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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of hustles
Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2026
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
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
Many of these statements seem more like ‘hustles’ or ‘pitches’ than attempts to speak thoughtfully about the future.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2026
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
-
Security company Trend Micro has documented that actors who’ve worked on past operations benefiting the North Korean government have used these addresses, particularly in scams involving fake recruiters.—
Jessica Klein,
PC Magazine,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Never click on suspicious links Some scams prompt you to click on a link that takes you to a fake website to gather your personal information or unintentionally download malware onto your computer.—
Jasmin Suknanan,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The rickshaws have become increasingly popular in Sierra Leone, filling the gaps in a strained public transport system as the West African country struggles to recover from its 1991-2002 civil war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Car launches are generally ghastly events, and this was way down there with the most hideous… and perhaps gave a clue as to why VW struggles to match its huge European sales success in America.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Apr. 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
-
Carpenter wears a men’s suit jacket and squeezes Cline’s butt, and the girls kiss their own reflections.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The pencil-thin DQ Tower squeezes a full home into a very slender footprint, while the EONE XL takes a wider prefab approach to the same basic challenge.—
Stefan Ionescu
March 30,
New Atlas,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Tips for eating Ethiopian food Tedla strives to find the right balance between authenticity for natives alongside choice for people who are curious but nervous about trying a new food.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The word counterculture generally refers to any movement that strives to achieve ideals counter to those of mainstream society.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 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
-
Carrera now plucks the melody in single notes.—
Peter Wayne Moe,
Longreads,
26 Mar. 2026
-
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
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 13 Apr. 2026.
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