thimblerigging

verb

present participle of thimblerig
as in cheating
to rob by the use of trickery or threats had the feeling that I had just been thimblerigged by the sweetest-looking old lady

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for thimblerigging
  1. cheating
  2. squeezing
  3. plucking
  4. stinging
  5. hustling
  6. sticking
  7. beating
  8. screwing
Verb
  • Written and rendered by dudes who longed for unlimited success, these are songs about cheating and being cheated on and trying but failing to be content, or love as lived amid capitalist indulgence.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026
  • In this case, the reward was solving the ExploitGym questions and the hacking was literally hacking—cheating on the test and then hacking into Hugging Face in an effort to cover up the cheating (more on that below).
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheating
Verb
  • Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries are squeezing diesel supplies.
    — Jeffrey Collins, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The antitrust balloon-squeezing phenomenon is well documented.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of squeezing
Verb
  • Weiss has been reworking CBS News’ broadcast lineup, plucking Tony Dokoupil from the program for the Evening News slot, and most recently overhauling 60 Minutes under new executive producer Nick Bilton.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The streamer has found its leading lady for the biopic, plucking an unknown first-timer to play the sertanejo icon.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of plucking
Verb
  • Mas launched his own stinging move around the same place that Omrzel attacked.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The bugs, particularly ticks, ants, mosquitoes and stinging insects, are going to take full advantage thanks to warmer temperatures, according to the National Pest Management Associations (NPMA)'s biannual Bug Barometer®.
    — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of stinging
Verb
  • Besides Instagram hustling and scouring job boards, entrepreneurial editors find gigs when creators call out for help.
    — Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Devers, who finished with three hits, eschewed his power for small ball in the fifth, laying down a surprise bunt for a single, then hustling home on Susac’s sacrifice fly.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 31 July 2026
Definition of hustling
Verb
  • The most improbable player to win a spot on the Miami’s 53 man roster didn’t merely defy the odds by sticking as an undrafted rookie, the only one of more than a dozen Dolphins to do that.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Continue to cook, agitating eggs and occasionally shaking pan and running spatula underneath to ensure eggs aren’t sticking, until surface of eggs looks somewhat set but still slightly shiny, about 30 seconds more.
    — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of sticking
Verb
  • Rashford enticed the Ukrainian, then drove past him on the outside, further beating Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the area, forcing James Tarkowski to slide in to concede a corner.
    — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Both teams are coming off dominant albeit unremarkable opening games after beating FCS opponents at home.
    — PJ Green September 8, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of beating
Verb
  • The screwworm gets its name from the maggots’ habit of burrowing — or screwing — into a wound, according to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
    — Fabiola Sánchez, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • There’s a storyline in season two about AI being employed at the hospital, then screwing everything up when the system goes down.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of screwing
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Thimblerigging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thimblerigging. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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