1
as in robbing
to remove valuables from (a place) unlawfully
the teens ripped off the store where they had been working for the summer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in stealing
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 cheating
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 ripping off
Stevenson shed six tackles last week versus an elite Houston defense, ripping off a 20-yard run early before helping to salt the game away late with several carries of five-plus yards in the fourth quarter.
—
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026
The Florida goalie sprinted the length of the ice — shedding his mitts along the way — and challenged Nedeljkovic before ripping off the San Jose goalie’s mask with the two trading punches.
—George Richards, Miami Herald, 19 Jan. 2026
The skiing and mountaineering elements demand supreme fitness, of course, but races are often won and lost in the various transitions, when competitors swiftly shift from skis to feet, then feet to skis, before ripping off the skins and skiing downhill.
—Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 19 Jan. 2026
In fitting Tomlin style, the Steelers responded by ripping off three straight victories — starting with a win at Baltimore on the first Sunday of December.
—CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
Brooklyn steadied itself for a bit, ripping off a 16-8 run and flipping the momentum when Alperen Sengun went to the bench.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026
We’re told regularly that tariffs are essential to stop other countries from ripping off Americans.
—Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 26 Oct. 2025
The problem with ripping off the label is now the jug is very sticky.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Oct. 2025
Skattebo is a human headbutt who will scream Ric Flair’s signature woo after pancaking a linebacker or after ripping off his shirt on Amazon Prime.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026
The Florida goalie sprinted the length of the ice — shedding his mitts along the way — and challenged Nedeljkovic before ripping off the San Jose goalie’s mask with the two trading punches.
—George Richards, Miami Herald, 19 Jan. 2026
The skiing and mountaineering elements demand supreme fitness, of course, but races are often won and lost in the various transitions, when competitors swiftly shift from skis to feet, then feet to skis, before ripping off the skins and skiing downhill.
—Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 19 Jan. 2026
In fitting Tomlin style, the Steelers responded by ripping off three straight victories — starting with a win at Baltimore on the first Sunday of December.
—CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
Brooklyn steadied itself for a bit, ripping off a 16-8 run and flipping the momentum when Alperen Sengun went to the bench.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026
We’re told regularly that tariffs are essential to stop other countries from ripping off Americans.
—Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 26 Oct. 2025
The problem with ripping off the label is now the jug is very sticky.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Oct. 2025
Skattebo is a human headbutt who will scream Ric Flair’s signature woo after pancaking a linebacker or after ripping off his shirt on Amazon Prime.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ripping off
Verb
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Sure, some out there were robbing old people, choking people, robbing them, beating them up, taking their money, but Troy just wasn’t like that.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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Exploring the lives of a boxer, a diner-robbing couple, a gangster's wife, and a pair of chatty hitmen, Pulp Fiction plays by its own rules in exploring how each of their messy lives intersects.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In a decision filed last week in Fulton County Superior Court, District Attorney Fani Willis said there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute Patty Durand for stealing trade secrets, which is a felony.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Portland cut it to single digits early in the fourth with a pair of at-the-rim makes by Robert Williams III, the second of which Holiday set up by stealing an errant White pass.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Contessa’s Corner Sports leagues, state gambling regulators and tribal leaders have all raised concerns that prediction market trades on sports don’t have the same level of guardrails as sportsbooks to protect against cheating by athletes, referees, coaches and other insiders.—
Alex Sherman,Contessa Brewer,
CNBC,
9 Jan. 2026
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The predictions were that unleashing AI to the world at large would lead to an exponential rise in cheating at school and that student essays would cease to be original.—
Degen Pener,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Home security camera footage captured a suspect wearing black clothing and glasses swiping the bear off the front porch of the Lakeshore Drive home.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Keep swiping, because new love might be waiting to meet you.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Fresh spinach requires large quantities and multiple steps—blanching, shocking, and squeezing—just to yield a usable amount.—
Amber Love Bond,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
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The bus ended up completely packed, everyone squeezing together in their parkas like a bunch of marshmallows.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Again, the bots were not always gainly—one viral video showed a humanoid veering off a running track and knocking over a human spectator—but the atmosphere was one of dynamism and experimentation.—
James Vincent,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
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Surveillance video shows a man, alleged to be Eichorst, knocking over and damaging the menorah, causing about $500 in damage.—
Steven Yablonski,
CBS News,
23 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Or plucking Tater Tots straight off the baking sheet and then wiping your hands on your pants.—
Alyssa Brandt,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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Caitlin Looby Last August, Lauren Isbell dove around Mott Island Dock at Isle Royale National Park, plucking invasive zebra mussels from the lakebed – sometimes with her fingers, other times with a credit-card sized piece of plastic attached to a lanyard on her wrist.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Luhmann, who traveled from Illinois to Minnesota to document the immigration enforcement surge, said his hands were stinging from the different smoke bombs and pepper sprays deployed that day.—
Minneapolis Star Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
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When treating frostbite at this stage, a person might feel stinging, burning and swelling in the affected area.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ripping off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ripping%20off. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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