as in stealing
dishonest activity in which people with power (such as political leaders) use their position and influence to get money and advantages
The newspaper published a series of articles exposing graft in the city government.
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as in to tie
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of graft
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2026
The beau ideal of local graft was Hall’s boss, Fate Thomas, the Davidson County sheriff.
—James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
If the tree is grafted, ensure that the graft union (the swollen point on the trunk) remains above the soil line.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for graft
Noun
Trees started from grafts usually bloom within 3 to 5 years.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2026
The beau ideal of local graft was Hall’s boss, Fate Thomas, the Davidson County sheriff.
—James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Verb
Trends like it are too fleeting to support the kind of mythology that The Moment tries to graft onto it.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
If the tree is grafted, ensure that the graft union (the swollen point on the trunk) remains above the soil line.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for graft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for graft
Noun
-
Critics singled out her performance as scene-stealing.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
-
By this token, the politician who steals scraps of another’s rhetoric (even if the actual stealing is performed by speechwriters) is derided as if he had been found watching pornography.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Before the game, the Wizards were tied with the Indiana Pacers for the worst team in the league, but by the end of the night the bottom spot was theirs alone.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Trailing by three after a disastrous first period, the Sharks got goals from Nick Leddy and Macklin Celebrini in the second period, and a nifty third-period goal from Alex Wennberg to tie the game and bring the capacity crowd at SAP Center to life.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Petty crime, like pickpocketing and phone theft, is more common in Paris and can be easily avoided.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Samuel Nana Opoku, a resident of Fairfax County, Virginia, is facing charges of money laundering, felony theft by taking, five counts of identity fraud, and initiation of deceptive commercial email.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There’s a known issue with a part of the Orion capsule’s heat shield, which is a part affixed to the spacecraft’s circular bottom that’s made of an ablative material — meaning it’s meant to char and erode as it’s exposed to heat.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
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There are bodies made from scrap metal, bodies pierced with tentacles and affixed with screens for nipples and eyes, bodies broken down for parts, and walls lined with images of skin.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Rappa has been charged with two counts of embezzlement or misapplication by a fiduciary, two counts of larceny over $1,200, and the unauthorized practice of law.—
Riley Rourke,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
He and his business partner had been locked in a blistering dispute about embezzlement.—
Kate Crane,
Rolling Stone,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Artists apply paint to replicate skin tones, and hair is inserted strand by strand.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The Justice Department inserted itself into Peters’ bid to be released while her state appeal was considered.—
Colleen Slevin,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Nastasa has been arrested 38 times in New York City, with charges including robbery, criminal possession of a weapon, grand larceny, threat by phone and criminal contempt.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
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The play, like the movie, is loosely based on a robbery that took place in 1972, on a boiling-hot August day, when an eccentric, deep-in-debt Vietnam veteran named John Wojtowicz entered a Chase bank in Brooklyn with a gun and two accomplices, hoping for a quick score.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Using unique identifiers attached to each arrestee, The Post excluded a number of apparent duplicate arrests from its analysis.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Their experience is raw material, and, for crew members, the passion and memories attached to this raw material are intensified by relations of class and power.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Graft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/graft. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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