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
Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
McConaughey may have had doubts at first, but Greengrass felt the actor was the only big star who could believably play a man hustling to stay afloat and keep his family together.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
The Voice in Your Head Is God places an emphasis on the series of decisions that brought 2 Chainz away from his tumultuous relationship with hustling and introduced him to the healthier creative medium of music.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2025
For once, Mayhem isn’t just hustling.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
But even as side hustling becomes increasingly normalized, the income gap persists.
—Alejandra Rojas, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Kelsie Whitmore, once an elite Division I softball player, has spent years hustling for any of the few hardball opportunities available to women.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025
While hustling to place PeaceWorks products in New York shops, Lubetzky grew frustrated by the lack of healthy snack options, which inspired Kind.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
She was hustling for every ball, diving on the floor.
—Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
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
As the Saints began hustling to the 1-yard line, the official closest to the play signaled for a clock stoppage.
—Ben Standig, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
Those best situated to make crypto common and an essential part of life are likely much younger than the politicians out hustling for votes.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Verb
While the most popular reason for side-hustling was discretionary spending, a majority of Americans take on extra jobs to support their households, pay down debt or shore up savings amid higher prices and inflation, Bank Rate found.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
McConaughey may have had doubts at first, but Greengrass felt the actor was the only big star who could believably play a man hustling to stay afloat and keep his family together.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
The Voice in Your Head Is God places an emphasis on the series of decisions that brought 2 Chainz away from his tumultuous relationship with hustling and introduced him to the healthier creative medium of music.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2025
For once, Mayhem isn’t just hustling.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
But even as side hustling becomes increasingly normalized, the income gap persists.
—Alejandra Rojas, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Kelsie Whitmore, once an elite Division I softball player, has spent years hustling for any of the few hardball opportunities available to women.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025
While hustling to place PeaceWorks products in New York shops, Lubetzky grew frustrated by the lack of healthy snack options, which inspired Kind.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
She was hustling for every ball, diving on the floor.
—Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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
As the Saints began hustling to the 1-yard line, the official closest to the play signaled for a clock stoppage.
—Ben Standig, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
Those best situated to make crypto common and an essential part of life are likely much younger than the politicians out hustling for votes.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hustling
Verb
-
During that season Clark was laboring to teach all his defensive linemen a new technique to use, and players would have to film themselves working on it, and send it into the coaches.—
Omar Kelly
August 23,
Miami Herald,
23 Aug. 2025
-
Wall Street economists are fixated on identifying tariff effects, yet stocks either celebrated or shrugged off three warm and sticky inflation readings this week, laboring to hold near record highs.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Before the new regulations, says Annie Inglis, Marine Biology Presenter with Quark, the expedition crew would be hurrying to get guests in Zodiacs to try to get closer to a bear sighting like this.—
Cassidy Randall,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Row the dumbbell up towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
8 Sep. 2025
-
While startups occasionally push boundaries with optimization techniques—squeezing more efficiency out of existing silicon—barriers to entry are overwhelmingly high.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
New Jersey, ranking third, also has strict driving laws and the third-most driving schools per capita.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
-
Keep going For the rest of the time, the 911 GTS evoked far more driving pleasure.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Apart from buying struggling retailers, Barnes & Noble has expanded its physical footprint.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Despite the additional funding, the Advocate pointed out that some TAC offices were already struggling—as of April 15, 2025, 239 were understaffed and 21 were unstaffed.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Park Min-young played a timid wife seeking revenge on her cheating man in Marry My Husband.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The basic logic of Article XIII is to promote fair play among the 30 teams and prevent teams from cheating.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This suspect has now been stopped in his tracks because of the diligent and tenacious work done by investigators at both the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The researchers concluded that, especially in relatively dense neighborhoods, even if residents take diligent action in defense of their own houses, that may not matter much if their neighbors don’t.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The occasion is an event held by the Women’s Coaching Alliance, a group striving to diversify football staffs.—
Seth Wickersham,
The Atlantic,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Drown is now striving to be able to flip sleeping clients without waking them up.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hustling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hustling. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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