as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
okay, buster, the jig is up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to fidget
to make jerky or restless movements
the mother could tell that her little boy had to use the bathroom because he was jigging
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of jig
Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
When water temperature 10 feet down is above 70 degrees, my favorite combinations are a black plastic eel or blue or black pork eel, on a red-and-brown hair jig with a ¼-ounce leadhead.
—Anthony A. Ciuffa, Outdoor Life, 7 Aug. 2025
Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2025
In the middle of the party, an accordion player jigged among a group of young, unsteady revelers, rapping to the beat like an agitated auctioneer.
—Matthew Bremner, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jig
Noun
That momentum-killing wait for the quarter-finals will disappear in 2026 as part of a re-jig that reduces the Blast from 14 to a dozen group games, but August will remain the preserve of The Hundred.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
When water temperature 10 feet down is above 70 degrees, my favorite combinations are a black plastic eel or blue or black pork eel, on a red-and-brown hair jig with a ¼-ounce leadhead.
—Anthony A. Ciuffa, Outdoor Life, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
However, a Rat-L-Trap can also be jigged vertically, which has a lot of application in saltwater.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2025
In the middle of the party, an accordion player jigged among a group of young, unsteady revelers, rapping to the beat like an agitated auctioneer.
—Matthew Bremner, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jig
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jig
Noun
-
Police said McGriff employed the ruse to access the couple's Queens residence and then set it ablaze.—
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
-
McGriff allegedly tried the ruse at a nearby house first but was turned away, Tisch said.—
Mark Morales,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The man fidgets, shifts around in his seat and fixates on Zarutska before pulling out a small knife and striking her multiple times around her neck.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Applause intermingled with tears as the families of the Camp Mystic campers and counselors looked on, many with small children fidgeting in their Sunday-best attire behind the governor.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Roberts and Robinson, who federal prosecutors say conducted the scheme over the course of five years, between 2018 and 2023, allegedly stole $900,000 from the court system.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Just look at the offense — more weapons, better scheme, more support.—
Dianna Russini,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Any dairy farmer can tell you that biting flies are a pestilent scourge for cattle herds, which is why one so often sees cows throwing their heads, stamping their feet, flicking their tails, and twitching their skin—desperately trying to shake off the nasty creatures.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Prior to the 2024 incident, Mangione reportedly shared information on Reddit about a number of health issues, including struggles with back pain, brain fog, and twitching leg muscles.—
Olivia-Anne Cleary,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
So the real trick was creating a hue with blendability that people were willing to reapply.—
Megan McIntyre,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The Luray Caverns feel almost magical—complete with musical instruments built into the walls, mirror-like lakes that play tricks on your eyes, and even a wishing well tucked into the underground pathways.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
With an epic Oscar-winning title song by Streisand and tear-jerking scenes aplenty, this film is a perennial favorite and often referred to in pop culture.—
Alex Apatoff,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
-
One video posted to the social platform X appeared to show Kirk addressing the students, at one point speaking about gang violence, before being struck near the neck and later jerking to his left side.—
Caroline Vakil,
The Hill,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses come with the Meta Neural Band, an EMG wristband that allows users to control the device using hand gestures.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
18 Sep. 2025
-
However, Sony doesn’t skimp on the polling rate—the speed at which your device sends inputs to your PC—which peaks at 8,000Hz.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Mash it up, smear it on toast, toss it in a salad, or eat it straight.—
Claire Bugos,
Verywell Health,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Judge tosses two murder charges related to acts of terrorism against Luigi Mangione, the alleged killer of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO last year.—
Amy Feldman,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jig.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jig. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share