1
2
as in guys
a member of the human race
one lucky stiff will get the biggest jackpot in the lottery's history
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in isolates
to deliberately ignore or treat rudely
the actress has a reputation for stiffing the press at red-carpet events
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in hustles
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
customers who were too embarrassed to admit that they had been stiffed by an Internet company claiming to sell designer handbags
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stiffs
Wengel Gemu, Vanity Fair, 15 Jan. 2026
After one of his clients stiffs him, Veneno runs into Muñeco (Osvaldo Sanchez), a trucker in his 40s who spends long weeks away from his estranged family, drinking and doing drugs to stay awake on the job.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
Marty Supreme is stuffed with street kids, working stiffs, midcentury aristocrats, and world-class athletes, all clad in crisp, period-accurate garb.
—Wengel Gemu, Vanity Fair, 15 Jan. 2026
After one of his clients stiffs him, Veneno runs into Muñeco (Osvaldo Sanchez), a trucker in his 40s who spends long weeks away from his estranged family, drinking and doing drugs to stay awake on the job.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiffs
Noun
-
Declaring a Climber Dead Estimates suggest that more than 200 corpses remain on Everest, but declaring a climber dead without their body is a complex endeavor.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The photos Petersohn kept in his scrapbook — of piles of emaciated corpses and of a man who died in front of his eyes — show a far darker reality.—
Lesley Stahl,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The three guys off the bench came from Louisville, Gonzaga and Washington.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
-
You guys really seem to enjoy all the awards-season hoopla.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hard Truths premiered at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival and followed Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Pansy, an angry and depressed woman who lashes out at family and strangers, and whose constant criticism slowly isolates her.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Power Without Corruption Mission has used a high-quality and ultra-low-noise toroidal transformer for 778CDT’s internal power architecture, which isolates critical pathways.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Compared to the behemoth Acela, which hustles hundreds of thousands of riders between Boston, New York City, and Washington DC each month, Amtrak's Mardi Gras line is downright petite—just two 58-seat coaches, plus a café car and a 14-seat Business Class car.—
Kara Newman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Most notably, watch here as backup center Oso Ighodaro shuts down Jalen Brunson’s final attempt to tie the score, then Grayson Allen deflects his pass, hustles into the backcourt and banks it off Mikal Bridges’ face and out of bounds.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This was an adaptation of the 1906 novel about the meatpacking industry by Upton Sinclair; famously, Lookingglass actors hung by their heels, depicting the draining carcasses of the Chicago Stockyards.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Jamieson expects other Antarctic sharks live at the same depth, feeding on the carcasses of whales, giant squids and other marine creatures that die and sink to the bottom.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Ten men were arrested from Colombia, Nicaragua, Panama and Ecuador.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Jackson, who can quickly get inside to score, gives the team three big men, along with Lopez and rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser, a luxury not many teams enjoy.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
My child automatically rejects paying for parking, especially when there are other options.—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Hunter-Torricke rejects these criticisms.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Inspired by real stories, Eva Marcille portrays a wife who miraculously cheats death after her husband’s (Tyler Lepley) betrayal in Pushed Off a Plane and Survived airing on February 28.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Blashill wants the Blackhawks to be a fast-pressure team at both ends of the rink, one that attacks vertically but never cheats for offense.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stiffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiffs. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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