as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
okay, buster, the jig is up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of jig
Amy Stark Shireman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
One diary entry details an ironing board and a winter coat shuffling out of a closet to dance a jig with a TV tray.
—Shannon Taggart, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
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
Nunn provided derby participants with details on favorable trout rigs and bait, including Carolina rigs, PowerBait, mini jigs and spinners.
—Amy Stark Shireman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
One diary entry details an ironing board and a winter coat shuffling out of a closet to dance a jig with a TV tray.
—Shannon Taggart, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
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
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Six phone calls made from one of the suspect numbers — in between calls to the San Francisco victim on the day of his robbery — were to a Los Angeles man who was zip-tied, duct-taped and beaten inside his Los Angeles home on New Year’s Eve, following a delivery ruse.—
Megan Cassidy,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
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Antoine’s art dealer Armand (Lellouche), desperate to keep Antoine from falling apart, urges Suzanne to keep the ruse alive.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The design was inspired by the hair-tearing boredom of COVID lockdown-era remote work, a time in which Knafs founder Ben Petersen maintained sanity during Zoom calls by fidgeting around with pocket knives and doodling pictures.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Mar. 2026
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One woman ordered some home furniture while two children fidgeted nearby.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The prosecution said all along that the two younger defendants were part of the scheme, but Alaniz Pineda was the one who shot Canoy.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Apr. 2026
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Authorities arrested eight people accused of conducting a series of health care fraud schemes that bilked tens of millions of dollars from Medicare and other insurance companies across Southern California, prosecutors announced April 2.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The launch can also be viewed on NASA's social media platforms include Facebook, twitch and X as well as NASA+, the agency's streaming service.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Curry’s body began convulsing and twitching with increasing severity, consistent with him sustaining a traumatic brain injury from being punched in the face, documents state.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Old dog learns new tricks UConn forward Alex Karaban, who played on the 2023 and ’24 champions, is attempting to become the first non-UCLA player to win three national championships.—
Sean Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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The brain bug's intrinsic ick factor is undeniably high, but using their proboscises to suck thoughts directly from the brains of their unfortunate victims is a pretty neat party trick.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In a viral video of the aftermath, the robot jerks back and forth to shake the glass off, showering yet more dangerous shards onto the sidewalk.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Tony Fauci was not just jerking the country around.—
David Blumenthal,
Fortune,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Consider a misting device or a drop fountain.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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Police were alerted about the cash-trap devices by a bank, which then told the customer, McKeever said.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The sixth-year senior saw limited action last season in the ACC with Pittsburgh, serving as the Panthers’ third-string quarterback and tossing just 22 passes on the year.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
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With the base loaded and one out, Los Alamitos popped up a bunt that third baseman Kimmie McDonnell snagged and alertly tossed to shortstop Mazzotti covering third base for an inning-ending double play.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jig.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jig. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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