1 nobble | Definition of nobble
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nobble

verb
nob·​ble | \ ˈnä-bÉ™l How to pronounce nobble (audio) \
nobbled; nobbling\ ˈnä-​b(É™-​)liÅ‹ How to pronounce nobbling (audio) \

Definition of nobble

transitive verb

1 British : to incapacitate (a racehorse) especially by drugging

2 slang, British

a : to win over to one's side
b : steal
c : swindle, cheat
d : to get hold of : catch
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Other Words from nobble

nobbler \ ˈnä-​b(É™-​)lÉ™r How to pronounce nobbler (audio) \ noun

Examples of nobble in a Sentence

We found out later that the horse had been nobbled, which explained its poor performance. She was trying to nobble the jury.

Recent Examples on the Web

 Lacking a supermajority to amend the constitution, PiS did the next best thing and nobbled the constitutional tribunal. — The Economist, "Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party is doing lasting damage," 21 Apr. 2018 In Hungary, having nobbled the courts, media and public prosecutor, Viktor Orban is squeezing civil society and using state (and EU) funds to nurture oligarchs. — The Economist, "The EU should get tough on its illiberal democracies," 19 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nobble.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of nobble

1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for nobble

perhaps irregular frequentative of nab

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More Definitions for nobble

nobble

verb
How to pronounce nobble (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of nobble

British, informal
: to give a drug to (a horse) to keep it from winning a race
: to cause or force (someone) to do something that you want by offering money, making threats, etc.
: to succeed in getting or catching (something or someone)

See the full definition for nobble in the English Language Learners Dictionary

More from Merriam-Webster on nobble

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with nobble

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for nobble

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