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as in to deceive
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Recent Examples of shanghai
They’re shanghaied by Witchiepoo (Billie Hayes), basically evil but also adorable, to Living Island — the witch wants Freddy — where trees walk and objects talk and the mayor is the title character, a friendly dragon.
—
Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2023
Some historians believe, as The Oregonian/OregonLive has reported, that the tunnels weren’t actually used to shanghai -- that is, abduct men and force them to join a ship’s crew.
—oregonlive, 26 Mar. 2020
The musical comedy is filled with zany pirates, zombie ships, mermaids and the plot revolves around a bumbling actor and his crew getting shanghaied by the terror of the high seas.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 July 2019
To shanghai your wife into a mental health intervention would be a mistake.
—Y Jeanne Phillips, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2018
That prompts the secretly protective Madea to shanghai Joe and the equally outrageous old-timers Hattie (Patrice Lovely) and Bam (Cassi Davis) for a trip to the lake to bring Tiffany back.
—Mike Scott, NOLA.com, 20 Oct. 2017
The ways in which our attention gets shanghaied by these companies makes us less good as citizens.
—Isaac Chotiner, Slate Magazine, 5 Oct. 2017
The idea of a summertime art festival has been shanghaied by the nonprofit Art Shanty Project.
—Bob Shaw, Twin Cities, 6 Jan. 2017
Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2023
Some historians believe, as The Oregonian/OregonLive has reported, that the tunnels weren’t actually used to shanghai -- that is, abduct men and force them to join a ship’s crew.
—oregonlive, 26 Mar. 2020
The musical comedy is filled with zany pirates, zombie ships, mermaids and the plot revolves around a bumbling actor and his crew getting shanghaied by the terror of the high seas.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 July 2019
To shanghai your wife into a mental health intervention would be a mistake.
—Y Jeanne Phillips, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2018
That prompts the secretly protective Madea to shanghai Joe and the equally outrageous old-timers Hattie (Patrice Lovely) and Bam (Cassi Davis) for a trip to the lake to bring Tiffany back.
—Mike Scott, NOLA.com, 20 Oct. 2017
The ways in which our attention gets shanghaied by these companies makes us less good as citizens.
—Isaac Chotiner, Slate Magazine, 5 Oct. 2017
The idea of a summertime art festival has been shanghaied by the nonprofit Art Shanty Project.
—Bob Shaw, Twin Cities, 6 Jan. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shanghai
Verb
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During non-blooming periods, the bulb focuses on producing tall leaves that capture energy and store it for the next flowering phase.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
14 Jan. 2026
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Dorothy Parker was a master of witty dialogue and subtle comedy, and this story perfectly captures all the tenderness and rage of sisterhood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Sextortion, a scheme where victims are deceived into sending online perpetrators explicit images and then blackmailed in exchange for money or additional graphic content, has affected thousands of teens in recent years and led to multiple suicide deaths.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
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Fortunately, the American public is much more informed and less likely to be deceived by the meat and dairy industry than in 1977.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The events for the most part are casual, though Nimrod says some do come dressed to impress depending on the occasion.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Noussair Mazraoui and Luke Shaw have also impressed playing in a central three.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The show’s original pair of fathers, who secretly trick their children into falling in love by pretending to be in a feud, will instead be mothers.—
Richard Johnson,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
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Fake pop-ups and lookalike websites are designed to trick people into typing usernames and passwords by hand.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The assailant allegedly drove up in the truck, kidnapped Amber and traveled away from Highway 360 towards the center of Arlington.—
Emily Krauser,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
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That ruling arose from a San Diego case in which two 16-year-olds came across two teen girls in a Rancho Peñasquitos park in 2011, kidnapped and raped them.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Their wedding ceremony was almost canceled due to it snowing so hard on their wedding day that a neighbor had to drive the bride to the church because cars were stuck in her driveway.—
Jennie Key,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
4 Jan. 2026
-
When will snow end in Kentucky?—
Brandi D. Addison,
Louisville Courier Journal,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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On December 30, two suspects, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, were seized in Las Vegas.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Morfa said many of her Venezuelan clients have passport complications, either having their documents annulled by the Maduro administration, or expire, or get seized by ICE.—
Natalia Jaramillo,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Tough conversations await Carolina in the offseason, provided a postseason berth does not delude them into thinking the team's trajectory remains upward.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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Atheists wrote that my father deluded himself.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shanghai.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shanghai. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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