as in cheating
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
was shortchanged out of a promotion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 shortchanging
The county had long been credited by some for its fiscal acumen, while at the same time criticized by others for shortchanging residents on important services.
—
Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
Some rounded prices down to avoid shortchanging shoppers.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025
Greenblatt’s myth of a Romantic Marlowe almost singlehandedly pushing England into the Renaissance betrays the principles of New Historicism by shortchanging the roles of so many other key players.
—Isaac Butler, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025
Perhaps in an effort to keep a veteran like Myers fresh for when the games count, while also giving Mancini an opportunity to demonstrate his ability to contribute on the penalty kill, the club had Myers shortchanging after defensive-zone draws.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The move once again has Trump at odds with Congress’s China hawks, who argue the administration is shortchanging America’s national security interests to make a buck.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 13 Aug. 2025
The investigation reveals how Kanai skirted the state’s charitable gaming laws for years while shortchanging the hockey families whose interests he was supposed to serve.
—Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2021
Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
Some rounded prices down to avoid shortchanging shoppers.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025
Greenblatt’s myth of a Romantic Marlowe almost singlehandedly pushing England into the Renaissance betrays the principles of New Historicism by shortchanging the roles of so many other key players.
—Isaac Butler, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025
Perhaps in an effort to keep a veteran like Myers fresh for when the games count, while also giving Mancini an opportunity to demonstrate his ability to contribute on the penalty kill, the club had Myers shortchanging after defensive-zone draws.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The move once again has Trump at odds with Congress’s China hawks, who argue the administration is shortchanging America’s national security interests to make a buck.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 13 Aug. 2025
The investigation reveals how Kanai skirted the state’s charitable gaming laws for years while shortchanging the hockey families whose interests he was supposed to serve.
—Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortchanging
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Students were hustling around campus, coming and going on the penultimate Saturday of the semester.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
15 Dec. 2025
-
The bubbling party scene in New York City was indeed a movie, and Puffy was hustling his way into the leading role.—
Essence,
Essence,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Or plucking Tater Tots straight off the baking sheet and then wiping your hands on your pants.—
Alyssa Brandt,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
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
-
Cattano suggests screwing mug hooks into the bottom of kitchen cabinets to utilize that space between the cupboards and the countertops.—
Bridget Reed Morawski,
Architectural Digest,
7 Jan. 2026
-
That’s because the president doesn’t care about screwing people.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Spray the rack with cooking spray to keep food from sticking.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The network quickly moved to censor a transgressive sitcom parody where soon-to-be-Ramones-manager Danny Fields tries to cure a TV repairman’s hemorrhoids by sticking a lightbulb up his ass.—
Vikram Murthi,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
Point Loma Nazarene’s women’s basketball team improved to 14-4 and climbed back on top of the PacWest Conference standings with a 10-2 mark after beating Azusa Pacific (80-55) and contender Vanguard (59-57) last week.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In the final, Black & Alshon threw down the gauntlet, beating the top pair in three straight for gold.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shortchanging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortchanging. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
