as in driving
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1
as in laboring
to devote serious and sustained effort
everyone really hustled to get the project finished on schedule
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hurrying
to proceed or move quickly
we'd better hustle, or we'll miss the train
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in squeezing
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
a swindler who hustled cashiers by getting them all confused while they were making change
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hustling
Jamie Wilde, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
Several minutes later, Acuff missed another three-point try on a fastbreak before a hustling Brazile beat the Vols to the punch and jammed in another putback score for a 24-18 Arkansas lead.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 4 Jan. 2026
Leading up to the scene, the ever-hustling Mauser is rushing from one harebrained scheme to another in order to get cash to travel to Tokyo to compete in the world championships for table tennis.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2025
This unfiltered depiction of two couples experiencing drug problems on the streets of New York — hustling, scoring, surviving — isn't framed by an inspiring message of recovery.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Dec. 2025
Opportunistic offense and hustling defense.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 21 Dec. 2025
Third-grader Noah Unell is a Rubik’s cube whiz and a hustling point guard who can spin a basketball on his finger like a Harlem Globetrotter.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 15 Dec. 2025
Directed by Lawrence Lamont and produced by Issa Rae (who clearly understands the assignment), the film follows two friends hustling to replace rent money after one boyfriend makes a disastrous choice.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 9 Dec. 2025
McNeeley is sometimes seen scrambling defensively, hustling to rotate to the open man when the Hornets are switching on that side of the ball.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 27 Nov. 2025
Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 15 Dec. 2025
The bubbling party scene in New York City was indeed a movie, and Puffy was hustling his way into the leading role.
—Essence, 11 Dec. 2025
Give them a moment to process the situation before hustling them out of there.
—Sara Rowe Mount, Parents, 28 Nov. 2025
On Canal Street on Thursday morning, lost tourists tripped over commuters hustling out of the subway, the grates on the souvenir stores went up, but most of the street vendors were still missing.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 23 Oct. 2025
The on-field swings were such a rarity that he was cheered on by Roberts, the Dodgers’ coaching staff and a handful of teammates and his walkup song (Michael Buble’s ‘Feeling Good’) blasted from the sound system briefly, sending photographers and cameramen hustling into action.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
From rushing out of the office to get party-ready, or hustling through the airport and reuniting with loved ones, to finally arriving at a glamorous night out with friends, each scene conveys merriment and personal style set against the backdrop of New York City.
—Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
Alongside her siblings, one of her first moments hustling was selling drinks to visitors who were on vacation.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025
Instead of hustling for one-day bookings, Patel engineered a system where one client often meant three to five events—maximizing return and loyalty.
—Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
During these videos, quick cuts of clips show off aspirational mornings and evenings packed with journaling, working out, meditating, cleaning, side hustling, and more.
—Verb
Students were hustling around campus, coming and going on the penultimate Saturday of the semester.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for hustling
Adjective
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Bring along a non-driving guest to enjoy the hotel part of the program for $350.—
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New Jersey, ranking third, also has strict driving laws and the third-most driving schools per capita.—
Verb
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That’s right, the Patriot did in two seasons what the Dolphins have been laboring since 2008 to achieve.—
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Mobley had been laboring to expand his range all offseason, launching thousands of 3s.—
Verb
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But one weekend in November, people who would typically be hurrying by, staring down at their phones, stopped.—
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Butler began hurrying Boise State and pushing up the tempo, which allowed the Broncos to score off several backdoor cuts and slip screens for big dunks and layups at the rim.—
Verb
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The Bagail 6-piece Compression Packing Cube Set is just $19 and a game-changer for squeezing extra outfits into a carry-on.—
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To check for ripeness, start by squeezing the fruit—ripe mangos should give slightly under pressure without feeling overly soft or mushy.—
Adjective
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But such diligent injury prevention doesn’t address the root cause of Rec League Dysmorphia.—
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Iran thus has every right to demand that the IAEA be diligent in observing its own procedures and codes of conduct on impartiality, objectivity, confidentiality, and sensitivity to national security concerns in exchange for continued cooperation.—
Verb
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However, the technology has been moving faster than state regulations can accommodate, and lawmakers have been struggling to walk the line between innovation and patient safety.—
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And, for many borrowers struggling with debt, exploring alternatives like debt settlement or consolidation may offer significant relief without the complications that bankruptcy rules can create.—
Verb
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The rushing defense is one of the worst in the league.—
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Most of the time, our road crews have us up and running by the next day, so rushing for a winter storm seems sort of silly.—
Verb
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Contessa’s Corner Sports leagues, state gambling regulators and tribal leaders have all raised concerns that prediction market trades on sports don’t have the same level of guardrails as sportsbooks to protect against cheating by athletes, referees, coaches and other insiders.—
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The predictions were that unleashing AI to the world at large would lead to an exponential rise in cheating at school and that student essays would cease to be original.—
Cite this Entry
“Hustling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hustling. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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