rip-off

1 of 2

noun

1
: an act or instance of stealing : theft
also : a financial exploitation
2
: a usually cheap exploitive imitation

rip off

2 of 2

verb

ripped off; ripping off; rips off

transitive verb

1
a
: rob
also : cheat, defraud
b
: steal
2
: to copy or imitate blatantly or unscrupulously
3
: to perform, achieve, or score quickly or easily
ripped off 10 straight points

Examples of rip-off in a Sentence

Verb the teens ripped off the store where they had been working for the summer the thief ripped off some jewelry as soon as no one was looking
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Pooh slasher film took home trophies for worst film, worst director, worst screenplay, worst screen couple and worst remake, rip-off or sequel. Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024 The list of authors affected is long, and the rip-offs have blossomed in variety. Will Oremus, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 Does Diddy's blatant Batman rip-off violate SAG-AFTRA's moratorium on franchise costumes for union members? EW.com, 1 Nov. 2023 She was convinced that the pristine shoes donated to her nonprofit were rip-offs. Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2023 In most cases, 3D was a rip-off — a carny-barker way for studios to jack up ticket prices. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Dec. 2023 The emphasis on political identity — Larson’s RBF, Parris’s anger, and Vellani’s naïveté — recalls the multiracial multiverse gamesmanship in Everything Everywhere All at Once, which was also a Hollywood rip-off of Johnnie To’s female fighters in the Hong Kong film The Heroic Trio. Armond White, National Review, 22 Nov. 2023 Alexandre Arnault, the son of Bernard Arnault, will sit on Birkenstock’s board after the I.P.O. Sales growth has slowed since the pandemic, and there is no shortage of counterfeit products and brazen rip-offs by rivals. Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2023 The first scene, the aftermath of a violent bloodbath, exposes the John Wick rip-off. Armond White, National Review, 1 Sep. 2023
Verb
The Bloodshot comic from the ‘90s was a bad Wolverine-Punisher rip off. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 Three southwest Valley cities are using city codes to find, regulate and crack down on sober living homes caught up in the Medicaid fraud scandal that ripped off taxpayers for around $2 billion, and counting. Alexandra Hardle, The Arizona Republic, 26 Feb. 2024 Anyone lacking the digital skills or willpower to shop around gets ripped off. Simon Hill, WIRED, 26 Feb. 2024 Led by former coach Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph’s ripped off 27 straight wins to open the season, earned its first No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll, and first No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed in team history. Dan Gelston, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2024 There are some simple rules that Waterman says can drastically reduce the risk of falling victim to a scam or being ripped off: Never click links in text messages or emails. Simon Hill, WIRED, 26 Feb. 2024 The routine devaluation of the peso means that acceptance of it brings with it high odds of being ripped off as pesos in one’s pocket exchange for fewer goods, services and labor. John Tamny, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 Two of the three bolts holding Officer Wulff’s holster to his gun belt had been ripped off as the officer fought for his life. Todd Spitzer, Orange County Register, 1 Feb. 2024 Meanwhile, a 15-year-old boy, identified only as Jack, had his shirt ripped off by the suction from the mid-air incident. Sabienna Bowman, Peoplemag, 26 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rip-off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1969, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1967, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of rip-off was in 1967

Dictionary Entries Near rip-off

Cite this Entry

“Rip-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rip-off. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rip-off

1 of 2 noun
ˈrip-ˌȯf
: an act or an instance of ripping off

rip off

2 of 2 verb
ˈrip-ˈȯf
1
: rob sense 1a
also : to cheat someone : defraud
2

More from Merriam-Webster on rip-off

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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