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
Three others included thieves ripping off three to six pairs of sunglasses.
—
Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
Mark Ruffalo stars as veteran FBI agent Tom Brandis, who’s assigned to lead a task force to catch a gang of low-level crooks who’ve been putting on Halloween masks and ripping off local drug dealers, in a scheme reminiscent of Apple TV+’s recent Dope Thief.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 28 Aug. 2025
Because Paterno had corrected course after four losing seasons in five years, ripping off 51 victories from 2005 to ‘09, there wasn’t much urgency to invest and improve.
—Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Johnson had a nine-yard TD run, one week after ripping off a 39-yard scoring run against the Jets.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Hurtado was out for a jog when the dogs bit her arms and legs, ripping off her flesh and leaving large cuts, deputies said.
—Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
Mark Ruffalo stars as veteran FBI agent Tom Brandis, who’s assigned to lead a task force to catch a gang of low-level crooks who’ve been putting on Halloween masks and ripping off local drug dealers, in a scheme reminiscent of Apple TV+’s recent Dope Thief.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 28 Aug. 2025
Because Paterno had corrected course after four losing seasons in five years, ripping off 51 victories from 2005 to ‘09, there wasn’t much urgency to invest and improve.
—Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Johnson had a nine-yard TD run, one week after ripping off a 39-yard scoring run against the Jets.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Hurtado was out for a jog when the dogs bit her arms and legs, ripping off her flesh and leaving large cuts, deputies said.
—Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ripping off
Verb
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The socialite made headlines in May by wearing her version of the necklace in Paris during the trial of 10 people who were accused of robbing the reality star in October 2016.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
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Four months into probation, Brown was arrested for robbing a man at an apartment.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Prometheus was chained to a rock for stealing the fire of the gods and giving it to human beings.—
Alan Lightman
September 12,
Literary Hub,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Back in May, Steven Hale pleaded guilty to spending about a year between 2021 and 2022 stealing discs from his employer and selling them online through e-commerce sites.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There are things worse than cheating.—
Essence,
Essence,
12 Sep. 2025
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Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal reported an uptick in the sale of blue books as a safeguard in testing to avoid students using AI for cheating.—
Laurel Donnellan,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Navigating through your book can be done by setting up the volume keys to turn the pages, swiping left or right with your fingers, or activating one of the nine ‘hotspots’ on the screen to page forward, page back, or access the settings on the Boox reader app.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Back in the lineup after being hit by a pitch on the knee on Sunday, Buxton had two hits and took off after the first one, swiping his 22nd base of the season.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That could be due to tariffs squeezing automakers, disincentivizing them from giving discounts.—
Senior Reporter,
PC Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
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This could be done by either squeezing the regular season even tighter with more midweek fixtures or putting the Wembley final back a week.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When two people pop a small confetti cannon into the air, Speed launches himself back with a cry, knocking over the set and barely missing the cake that has his face on it.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Many cat owners have seen their cat sleeping in a sunny patch on the bed, or even knocking over plants and whatever else is in the way to get an ideal window-napping position.—
Meghan Holmes,
Treehugger,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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When not plucking away at a keyboard, Madison teaches yoga and mountain bikes with her two Australian shepherds, Cholla and Poppy, through Missoula's Rattlesnake Wilderness.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
29 Aug. 2025
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It’s haltingly played, like a child plucking out the notes, to emphasize John’s deep connection to his daughter.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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It’s revealed that Sklar was Lori’s inspiration as a child to become an artist, only to crush that spark a dozen or so years later with stinging cruelty.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Sep. 2025
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Perhaps the loss, coupled with seeing Parsons thrive in Green Bay as the Packers get off to a hot start, is stinging the Cowboys’ top cornerback in Week 1.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ripping off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ripping%20off. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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