as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
okay, buster, the jig is up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to fidget
to make jerky or restless movements
the mother could tell that her little boy had to use the bathroom because he was jigging
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of jig
Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 9 Jan. 2026
That’s fair, for in many ways Venables’s music — with its operatic heights and meditative chants, its detours from classical through bossa nova and Irish jig — is the soul of the thing, revealed in all its richness and variety by the hugely gifted ensemble.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2025
In the middle of the party, an accordion player jigged among a group of young, unsteady revelers, rapping to the beat like an agitated auctioneer.
—Matthew Bremner, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jig
Noun
There’s not much on 1 IN A MILLION that will blow you away; the beats are of the same unmiraculous mold—Michigan brute force meets Louisiana jig—that has been holding down Florida street rap for the last half-decade, and the lyrics rarely jump off the page on their own.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 9 Jan. 2026
That’s fair, for in many ways Venables’s music — with its operatic heights and meditative chants, its detours from classical through bossa nova and Irish jig — is the soul of the thing, revealed in all its richness and variety by the hugely gifted ensemble.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
Verb
However, a Rat-L-Trap can also be jigged vertically, which has a lot of application in saltwater.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2025
In the middle of the party, an accordion player jigged among a group of young, unsteady revelers, rapping to the beat like an agitated auctioneer.
—Matthew Bremner, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jig
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jig
Noun
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As part of the ruse to extract her from Venezuela, Machado wore a disguise to leave the country, violating Venezuela’s then-travel ban, according to the Associated Press.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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Director Ben Affleck also stars in the historical thriller (and a sort of salute to the movies) about the CIA using a fake sci-fi movie as a ruse to rescue diplomats during the Iran hostage crisis.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Saturday’s game is also being advertised an autism awareness night, offering earplugs, fidget toys and a sensory break area for fans who plan to attend.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Minimal but purposeful movement, avoiding fidgeting or excessive gestures, shows intention.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Fitting back into the scheme after his absence, James focused on setting screens for the short-handed frontcourt that was without Jaxson Hayes (back soreness) and Maxi Kleber (lumbar back strain).—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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His ball production gives new defensive coordinator Christian Parker a scheme-fit defensive back that can help create turnovers for a defense that was tied for the second-least interceptions in 2025.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Behind them a young man with a paint-flecked beard followed the designer about the set, twitching the hem of the velvet curtains hung at the window and rearranging the ornaments on the mantelpiece.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
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Kearse twitched briefly after the lethal drugs began entering his system but stopped moving several minutes later.—
Freida Frisaro,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This under-$40 Amazon pick totally does the trick, and even comes with a little matching pouch.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
13 Mar. 2026
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The previous reader confirmed that the engine can be remote started with this trick using the key-fob.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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We are jerked between past and present as his backstory gets filled in, one jogged memory at a time.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
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The clip on TikTok shows the seat jerking abruptly, apparently from forceful pushes by the person seated behind her.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The licensing agreement with Veo would last at least three years, with Veo paying the city $250 per scooter device each year for up to 9,000 of them deployed throughout the city.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
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The device, developed by a research team at Wuhan University’s Satellite Navigation and Positioning Technology Research Centre, is highly precise, losing just one second over 30,000 years.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Griffin Jax tossed a perfect sixth before David Bednar escaped a seventh-inning jam with two on and one out by striking out Tatis and Marte.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
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Residents in houses gathered on rooftops and hung out of windows, with one girl with her leg outside tossing beers down from the second story to her friends on the porch.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jig.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jig. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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