1
as in tricking
to cause to believe what is untrue a sleazy schemer who gaffed gullible people into thinking they could get rich with a money-making opportunity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in squeezing
to rob by the use of trickery or threats the operators of the traveling carnival had gaffed patrons with a variety of time-honored ruses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaffing
Verb
-
After tricking her way into her dream job, Liza discovers that disguising herself as a millennial and keeping her two lives separate is a job in and of itself.—
Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Apr. 2026
-
Recall his central role in tricking immigrants in Texas to fly to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts with empty promises of jobs.— Howard L. Simon, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Medical cost inflation surged, squeezing margins and forcing guidance lower, while Washington added uncertainty around reimbursements and oversight.— Jay Woods, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
-
At the same time, inflation has ticked higher yet again, squeezing budgets and leaving less room for aggressive repayment strategies.— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But Baio says Kassotis has been fooling people for years.— Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
-
Indeed, depth would only get in the way of the plot, which is primarily concerned with fooling you and fooling you again.— Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Naumann also did Loughlin’s hair for this March outing, which marked the mother and daughters’ first red-carpet appearance together since the 2019 college admissions cheating scandal.— Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
-
Just days before the Love Island USA Season 7 reunion aired, cheating rumors began circulating online.— Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Swalwell apparently did an excellent job deceiving those around him, including some congressional and campaign staffers who’d known him for years and worked closely with the seven-term lawmaker, day in, day out.— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
-
The Mets have a responsibility to protect their players by not throwing them under the bus, but there are ways to do that without trying to convince people that their eyes are deceiving them.— Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For some, working with soil evokes nostalgia for childhood summers, smelling thorny roses in bloom and plucking ripe tomatoes off the vine.— Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 20 Apr. 2026
-
Brawley hires football coach After a months-long search, Brawley High School has hired a football coach, plucking Rick Stewart away from Calipatria.— John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Since then, Earle has been teasing her response to Cooper online.— Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
-
Downey said, teasing the crowd that gave him a standing ovation during his entrance.— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Braves players worked on hustling first to third on a soft single to the outfield, or breaking toward home on a dribbler in the infield.— Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 20 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, McCutchen walked for the fourth straight game and beat out an infield single, hustling hard to first on a squibber down the third base line.— Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 15 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Gaffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/gaffing. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
