1
as in to rob
to remove valuables from (a place) unlawfully
the teens ripped off the store where they had been working for the summer
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to steal
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep
the thief ripped off some jewelry as soon as no one was looking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
an investigation revealed that a whole slew of suppliers had been ripping off the defense department
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rip-off
Dominic Patten, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025
On the surface, Çiftlik Bank—Turkish for Farm Bank—was little more than a FarmVille rip-off; the functionality for tending to digital crops and livestock was lifted more or less straight from their competitor.
—Moisés Naím, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
Sean Nevin, NBC news, 19 Feb. 2026
Tougher still was standing in the fairway on the par-5 18th, the cold Pacific air ripping off the ocean to his left, and having to wait some 20 minutes as Jacob Bridgeman had to figure out how to play off the beach only for his shot to go into the ocean.
—ABC News, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rip-off
Noun
With an appeal filed this week, Warner Bros TV is making another incision to stop the legal exhumation of The Pitt, and whether or not claims the Noah Wyle-starring Emmy-winning medical drama is a rip-off of ER will go to trial.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025
On the surface, Çiftlik Bank—Turkish for Farm Bank—was little more than a FarmVille rip-off; the functionality for tending to digital crops and livestock was lifted more or less straight from their competitor.
—Moisés Naím, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
Immediately, Muller ripped off her chinstrap, her helmet tossed to the ice.
—Sean Nevin, NBC news, 19 Feb. 2026
Tougher still was standing in the fairway on the par-5 18th, the cold Pacific air ripping off the ocean to his left, and having to wait some 20 minutes as Jacob Bridgeman had to figure out how to play off the beach only for his shot to go into the ocean.
—ABC News, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rip-off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rip-off
Noun
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Sometimes a provider’s NPI is used without their knowledge or consent, a crime known as NPI theft that is commonly committed to facilitate Medicaid fraud.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
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Alfredo Muñoz has multiple prior arrests for burglary, assault, vehicle theft and weapons and drug offenses as well as resisting arrest, according to court records.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In Southern California, the fervor around Pokémon cards has led to strings of break-ins in recent months at trading card stores that have amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars of losses and even some collectors robbed at gunpoint.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
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Bland and his two robbery crew members — Ronnie Tucker, 24, of Long Beach, and Abigail Luckey, 50, of North Hollywood — robbed 12 businesses across Los Angeles and Orange counties over a 17-day stretch in early 2024.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Last Tuesday, thieves stole more than $80,000 of Pokémon cards from Do-We Collectibles in Anaheim — the second time the store has been targeted.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
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Two days later, authorities found the van, a 1978 Chevy stolen from Dayton, Ohio, abandoned at a truck stop in Franklin, Tenn.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Lægreid wasn’t the only athlete caught up in a cheating scandal, however.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
23 Feb. 2026
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The seemingly quaint and cordial sport of curling was rocked by cheating allegations during the Winter Games.—
Sallee Ann Harrison,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Blame an increase in digital technology, algorithms encouraging people to keep swiping onto the next thing, and increasingly blurry boundaries between work and personal time.—
Natalia V. Osipova,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
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Dip a clean sponge in it and use it to wipe down your fridge, ensuring that all paste and grime has been swiped away.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Before that, the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act that passed in January 2025 was already squeezing Social Security, CRFB said.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
28 Feb. 2026
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Video shows the women squeezing through the window and screaming obscenities at the people inside, while tossing food, beverages and packaging.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The pool and hot tub setup look like they were plucked from an island retreat, set underneath palm trees and boasting a splash pad.—
Nora Heston Tarte,
Mercury News,
24 Feb. 2026
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Scheelhaase shifted to coaching at Illinois in 2015 and rose up the ranks at Iowa State under head coach Matt Campbell for six seasons before McVay plucked him from the college ranks in 2024.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Ducks’ fourth line toiled low in the zone, and after the Jets hustled to avert the threat there, Trouba’s ostensibly harmless fling from the far corner found the net, appearing to hit Winnipeg defenseman Ville Heinola’s stick first.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
28 Feb. 2026
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Those were full-time pharmacists, realtors and teachers hustling across Olympic ice for Team USA.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rip-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rip-off. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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