1
as in robbing
to remove valuables from (a place) unlawfully
the teens ripped off the store where they had been working for the summer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in stealing
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep
the thief ripped off some jewelry as soon as no one was looking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cheating
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
an investigation revealed that a whole slew of suppliers had been ripping off the defense department
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ripping off
After retaining his parallel giant slalom crown in Livigno on Sunday, the 40-year-old celebrated by ripping off his top, baring his chest to the frenzied crowd, before flexing his muscles and dropping facedown on the snow.
—
Ben Church, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
Companies making machine learning and generative software aren’t just metaphorically ripping off books.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
TrumpRx does make a compelling case that the president has mounted an extraordinary effort to stop pharmaceutical companies from ripping off Americans.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
The Slovenian superstar won Rookie of the Year before ripping off five straight First Team All-NBA selections.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Feb. 2026
Stevenson shed six tackles last week versus an elite Houston defense, ripping off a 20-yard run early before helping to salt the game away late with several carries of five-plus yards in the fourth quarter.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026
The Florida goalie sprinted the length of the ice — shedding his mitts along the way — and challenged Nedeljkovic before ripping off the San Jose goalie’s mask with the two trading punches.
—George Richards, Miami Herald, 19 Jan. 2026
The skiing and mountaineering elements demand supreme fitness, of course, but races are often won and lost in the various transitions, when competitors swiftly shift from skis to feet, then feet to skis, before ripping off the skins and skiing downhill.
—Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 19 Jan. 2026
In fitting Tomlin style, the Steelers responded by ripping off three straight victories — starting with a win at Baltimore on the first Sunday of December.
—CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
Ben Church, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
Companies making machine learning and generative software aren’t just metaphorically ripping off books.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
TrumpRx does make a compelling case that the president has mounted an extraordinary effort to stop pharmaceutical companies from ripping off Americans.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
The Slovenian superstar won Rookie of the Year before ripping off five straight First Team All-NBA selections.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Feb. 2026
Stevenson shed six tackles last week versus an elite Houston defense, ripping off a 20-yard run early before helping to salt the game away late with several carries of five-plus yards in the fourth quarter.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026
The Florida goalie sprinted the length of the ice — shedding his mitts along the way — and challenged Nedeljkovic before ripping off the San Jose goalie’s mask with the two trading punches.
—George Richards, Miami Herald, 19 Jan. 2026
The skiing and mountaineering elements demand supreme fitness, of course, but races are often won and lost in the various transitions, when competitors swiftly shift from skis to feet, then feet to skis, before ripping off the skins and skiing downhill.
—Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 19 Jan. 2026
In fitting Tomlin style, the Steelers responded by ripping off three straight victories — starting with a win at Baltimore on the first Sunday of December.
—CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ripping off
Verb
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Two men have been accused of robbing a supermarket in Bridgeport at knifepoint on Thursday before leading police on a pursuit that ended in a crash in Woodbridge.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
30 Jan. 2026
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San Antonio Crime Stoppers is seeking the public’s help to identify two suspects accused of robbing a JCPenney store at Ingram Park Mall in December.—
Raul Trey Lopez,
San Antonio Express-News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The mood shifted around midnight, when a guest lost her phone and began accusing others of stealing it, authorities said.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Two more people were arrested after allegedly stealing about $1 million in gold jewelry in the January smash-and-grab robbery of a Yuba City jewelry store, police said.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Among the reasons Belichick was not inducted are his involvement in cheating scandals, such as Spygate and Deflategate, according to ESPN.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
6 Feb. 2026
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Cornyn’s campaign responded with a taunt over Paxton’s divorce and cheating scandal.—
Sarah Bahari,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In 2020, just prior to the onset of the pandemic, ESPN had designs on swiping Romo from CBS with a $15 million per year contract.—
Andrew Marchand,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
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Home security camera footage captured a suspect wearing black clothing and glasses swiping the bear off the front porch of the Lakeshore Drive home.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The solar sector has been grappling with a prolonged price slump and oversupply, squeezing margins even as leading producers continue to add capacity.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2026
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For generations, Americans who wanted orange juice without the work of squeezing fresh fruit cracked open a can and watched a cylinder of frozen juice go ker-plunk into a pitcher.—
Dee-Ann Durbin,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Jascoco The cows stampeded into a neighborhood, knocking over mailboxes, trampling fences, and bumping into cars as they were being chased.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Again, the bots were not always gainly—one viral video showed a humanoid veering off a running track and knocking over a human spectator—but the atmosphere was one of dynamism and experimentation.—
James Vincent,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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According to its website, Butcher & Singer is an homage to the glitz and class of 1940s Hollywood, reaching into the past, plucking the best and brightest aspects of a bygone era.—
Courtney Cherry,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
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The Bills scooped up a second Broncos assistant in as many days, plucking Jim Leonhard to lead Joe Brady’s defense.—
Torrey Hart,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Seattle fans are hoping to erase the stinging memory of Super Bowl 49 – when the Seahawks famously decided not to run from the 1-yard line and saw Malcolm Butler intercept Russell Wilson to seal a 28-24 Patriots win.—
Jacob Camenker,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
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Senior lawmaker Angela Rayner, a popular figure on the left of the party, is still stinging after being forced to resign as deputy prime minister in September for failing to pay enough tax on a home purchase.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ripping off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ripping%20off. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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