1
2
as in to deceive
Related Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
But even that doesn’t capture why the Dodgers were the Phillies’ all-time nightmare matchup.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Backed by melancholic country sonics, the clip also captures them performing during a boxing match and highlights the early stages of their growing friendship.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Everton appear locked in a cycle where their starting No 9 flatters to deceive, is left out for the next game, but then the replacement fares little better.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Unfortunately, bank customers aren't always reimbursed when they're hit by some scams, including when they're deceived into making a payment to a con artist, such as in a romance scam.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Of course, due to all of these developments, everyone finally knows that the man who kidnapped Sam and stole the dope is Robbie Pendergrast.—
Grace Byron,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Christopher Leon, 34, was arrested on suspicion of trying to kidnap an 11-year-old girl outside of a Tolleson school, police said.—
Wren Smetana,
AZCentral.com,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But in addition to his reputation as a womanizer, Casanova was also a con man, a skilled liar who came from a family of actors and who over the course of his life manipulated and tricked countless people to maintain wealth and status.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Malware has evolved to target macOS more aggressively than ever and many attacks now rely on tricking users rather than breaking through security software.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Surprisingly, Darren Waller impressed greatly in his first game back in the NFL, picking up two touchdowns on three receptions for 27 yards.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
And Pegasus comes dressed to impress.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Winter must be here early, because white fluffy insects are snowing down on Mississippi right now.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Newly evolved chalky plankton fed a steady conveyor belt of carbon gently snowing through oceans to the seafloor, where it was delivered to deep sea trenches, cooked and then released through the throats of volcanoes at the surface again as carbon dioxide.—
Peter Brannen,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The man reported to the Sheriff’s Office he had been scammed; the Sheriff’s Office then obtained a warrant and seized $14,120 from the ATM.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Failing to seize the narrative, the authorities shifted course and began erasing the record from public memory.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
ChatGPT doesn’t have to be superintelligent to delude someone, spread misinformation, or make a biased decision.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shanghai.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shanghai. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share