1
as in laboring
to devote serious and sustained effort
everyone really hustled to get the project finished on schedule
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hurrying
to proceed or move quickly
we'd better hustle, or we'll miss the train
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in squeezing
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
as in driving
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hustling
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
Seven years removed from hustling.
—Allen Iverson, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
Bader was excellent early Saturday, notching a sacrifice fly to drive in Realmuto and hustling to right-center for a diving catch in the fifth.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
This lunation might highlight what you’ve been hustling for since March — where the financial wins are real and where leaks still need plugging.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 5 Oct. 2025
So that’s kind of why so many artists are obsessive with hustling, with always being on the road or always being in the studio.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2025
Clips of her hustling CDs out of a candy box and taking over a street corner quickly went viral, as well as her personal meet-and-greet signings of her project.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 18 Sep. 2025
And some boys grow up watching their uncles or older brothers hustling.
—Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2025
The 39-year-old coach is often seen sprinting up and down the sideline either in celebration or hustling to get a timeout in before a snap.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
Alongside her siblings, one of her first moments hustling was selling drinks to visitors who were on vacation.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025
Instead of hustling for one-day bookings, Patel engineered a system where one client often meant three to five events—maximizing return and loyalty.
—Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Four astronauts returned to Earth after hustling to the International Space Station five months ago to relieve the stuck test pilots of Boeing’s Starliner.
—Jeremy Mikula, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2025
Pope made sure to share the celebration again, jogging to find his wife and daughters behind the bench for a long embrace before hustling to a TV interview.
—Jesse Temple, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Rayah Marshall attacked the rim before hustling to the back of the player’s line.
—Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2025
This is indeed a car that will reward you for hustling it down a twisty road should the desire arise.
—Ars Technica, 3 Jan. 2025
And for Lil Baby, one of the hottest artists out at the moment, the transition from hustling in the streets of Atlanta to earning over $100 million in record deals and endorsements came with a harsh financial wake-up call.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
On the streets of London, Mike is hustling to get by.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
Seven years removed from hustling.
—Allen Iverson, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
Bader was excellent early Saturday, notching a sacrifice fly to drive in Realmuto and hustling to right-center for a diving catch in the fifth.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
This lunation might highlight what you’ve been hustling for since March — where the financial wins are real and where leaks still need plugging.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 5 Oct. 2025
So that’s kind of why so many artists are obsessive with hustling, with always being on the road or always being in the studio.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2025
Clips of her hustling CDs out of a candy box and taking over a street corner quickly went viral, as well as her personal meet-and-greet signings of her project.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 18 Sep. 2025
And some boys grow up watching their uncles or older brothers hustling.
—Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2025
The 39-year-old coach is often seen sprinting up and down the sideline either in celebration or hustling to get a timeout in before a snap.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
From rushing out of the office to get party-ready, or hustling through the airport and reuniting with loved ones, to finally arriving at a glamorous night out with friends, each scene conveys merriment and personal style set against the backdrop of New York City.
—Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
Alongside her siblings, one of her first moments hustling was selling drinks to visitors who were on vacation.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025
Instead of hustling for one-day bookings, Patel engineered a system where one client often meant three to five events—maximizing return and loyalty.
—Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Four astronauts returned to Earth after hustling to the International Space Station five months ago to relieve the stuck test pilots of Boeing’s Starliner.
—Jeremy Mikula, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2025
Pope made sure to share the celebration again, jogging to find his wife and daughters behind the bench for a long embrace before hustling to a TV interview.
—Jesse Temple, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Rayah Marshall attacked the rim before hustling to the back of the player’s line.
—Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2025
This is indeed a car that will reward you for hustling it down a twisty road should the desire arise.
—Ars Technica, 3 Jan. 2025
And for Lil Baby, one of the hottest artists out at the moment, the transition from hustling in the streets of Atlanta to earning over $100 million in record deals and endorsements came with a harsh financial wake-up call.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 23 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hustling
Verb
-
With The Fulfillment, the sub-context is how clout culture is a currency, how attention itself has become a currency, just like our laboring bodies are.—
Christopher Claxton,
Billboard,
19 Sep. 2025
-
While such a scenario sounds potentially maudlin and manipulative, Lucero — who wrote the film from a personal place — never allows that to happen by making the characters complex and flawed, and laboring under real-life issues.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Pedestrians are hurrying past to find their places on Fifth Avenue, but the girls have a different kind of readiness about them.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
-
That's why Amazon shoppers are hurrying to grab a soft and fluffy comforter for fall.—
Melody Kazel,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Record high inflation and a weak yen are also squeezing households and driving up living costs.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
-
All the while, overall streaming growth has slowed in recent years, squeezing artists’ margins even further.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Bring along a non-driving guest to enjoy the hotel part of the program for $350.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
9 Sep. 2025
-
New Jersey, ranking third, also has strict driving laws and the third-most driving schools per capita.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
That was punctuated by the incident in Dubai, which Raducanu said left her struggling to breathe properly in the immediate aftermath.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The film follows Malik (Omar Epps), a gifted athlete struggling academically; Kristen (Kristy Swanson), a young woman discovering her voice; and Remy (Michael Rapaport), a student whose isolation turns dangerous.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But things got particularly ugly in the most recent reunion episode, in which Adriana de Moura not only leaned on lesbophobic and biphobic rhetoric, but also claimed that Julia Lemigova (who is famously married to renowned TERF Martina Navratilova) has been cheating for years.—
James Factora,
Them.,
10 Oct. 2025
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Then de Moura decided to drop a few bombshells of her own, accusing her former bestie of not just cheating with her but with two men.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Daria watched their diligent ascent while Andrés studied the map on his phone.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
-
The Hunt After years of diligent saving, a longtime renter with a $300,000 budget weighed whether to take his parents’ advice and return to his childhood building in Elmhurst, or branch out.—
Dan Levin,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Dispelling shame and striving for equality was a strategy used by fourteen women.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
13 Oct. 2025
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Much to the dismay of Gen Z striving for success with a manageable work-life balance, CEOs are adamant that intense schedules are essential for anyone looking to make it in business.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hustling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hustling. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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