as in to sting
to charge (someone) too much for goods or services
since I had forgotten the sunscreen, I was forced to buy it from the concession stand at the beach—where they gouged me for it
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Recent Examples of gouge
Alvin Orloff, Mercury News, 27 May 2025
Other fragments from the site appear to have flaked off large columns that once supported the villa’s porticoed garden: They’re composed of curved stucco gouged with decorative vertical lines, meant to make the columns fluted.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Apr. 2025
Mike Dojc, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Finding Megalodon teeth with distinct serration gouges from another Megalodon’s bite is incredibly rare.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gouge
Verb
While businesses are being gouged, so too are many consumers.
—Alvin Orloff, Mercury News, 27 May 2025
Other fragments from the site appear to have flaked off large columns that once supported the villa’s porticoed garden: They’re composed of curved stucco gouged with decorative vertical lines, meant to make the columns fluted.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
Golf’s bomb-and-gouge era, where power hitters eschewed the traditional fairways-and-greens approach and instead clobbered their tee shots as far as possible before hacking a wedge from the rough to set up birdie chances, may be over.
—Mike Dojc, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Finding Megalodon teeth with distinct serration gouges from another Megalodon’s bite is incredibly rare.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gouge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gouge
Verb
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Rough as that was, a fielding mistake may have stung worse.—
Compiled From Wire Reports,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 June 2025
-
According to news stories, Macron was stung by the report’s lukewarm reception in Algeria.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Noun
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One theory is that the hollows on the rock resemble parts of a face: eyes, mouth and chin.—
Rosa Rahimi,
CNN Money,
29 May 2025
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Also, check for hollows in trunks that may mean the interior portion is rotting.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 May 2025
Verb
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Randolph disputed Martin’s request, saying the case was overcharged from the start.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
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The Fed also imposed a regulatory punishment known as a consent order on Discover alongside a fine of $100 million for overcharging fees from 2007 to 2023.—
Chris Prentice and Saeed Azhar,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But Gauff found her groove and won 12 straight points to tighten it up.—
Adam Zagoria,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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Talk to me about navigating that, the sort of settling into a groove there.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Trouble is, the elder Broadway managed to cheat St. Christopher out of his share of the plunder.—
Joe Leydon,
Variety,
13 June 2025
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Iran's response: cheating and hiding its nuclear weapons program; sprinting toward a bomb; and trying to assassinate senior American officials, including President Trump.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
Noun
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The victim suffered a puncture wound on her left forearm and was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
9 June 2025
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Conroy, 37, wasn’t even sure where he was supposed to report the attack that left his dog Liam with a half-dozen puncture wounds and a $1,300 vet bill while the pair was out for a run on the Major Taylor Trail last fall.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2025
Verb
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Business Insurers seek to surcharge California homeowners for L.A. County fire costs May 13, 2025 How would the insurers benefit from such a scheme?—
Laurence Darmiento,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2025
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Now, under a policy Lara put in place last year that is being challenged in court, insurers are filing applications with the state Department of Insurance seeking to surcharge their policyholders statewide for half the costs of that assessment.—
Laurence Darmiento,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2025
Noun
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In 2011, Russ Faria came home to find his wife, Betsy Faria, dead with approximately 55 stab wounds and a knife in her neck, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said in a probable cause statement.—
Kate Linderman,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2025
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On June 16, 1978, a student found Peterson lying on the floor near her classroom with a single stab wound to her chest.—
Lesley Cosme Torres,
People.com,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gouge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gouge. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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