1 hustle | Definition of hustle

hustle

verb
hus·​tle | \ ˈhÉ™-sÉ™l How to pronounce hustle (audio) \
hustled; hustling\ ˈhÉ™-​s(É™-​)liÅ‹ How to pronounce hustling (audio) \

Definition of hustle

 (Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to crowd or push roughly : jostle, shove had been hustled into a jail cell with the other protesters
b : to convey forcibly or hurriedly … grabbed him by the arm and hustled him out the door …— John Dos Passos
c : to urge forward precipitately hustling tourists from one museum to the next
2a : to obtain by energetic activity usually used with up hustle up new customerstry to hustle up some tickets to tonight's gamehustling up some grub
b : to sell something to or obtain something from (someone) by energetic and especially underhanded activity : swindle hustling the suckers an elaborate scam to hustle the elderly
c : to sell or promote energetically and aggressively hustling a new product
d : to lure less skillful players into competing against oneself at (a gambling game) hustle pool

intransitive verb

1 : shove, press
2 : hasten, hurry you'd better hustle if you want to catch the bus
3a : to make strenuous efforts to obtain especially money or business Our quartet was out hustling … and we knew we stood good to take in a lot of change before the night was over.— Louis Armstrong
b : to obtain money by fraud or deception
c : to engage in prostitution
4 : to play a game or sport in an alert aggressive manner She's not the most talented player on the team, but she always hustles.

hustle

noun

Definition of hustle (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : energetic activity I … went about the hustle of summer life.— Stephen W. Kress You stepped out of Penn Station into the dizzying hustle of Eighth Avenue …— Colson Whitehead I enjoy the hustle and bustle of the city.
b chiefly US : effort and energy in playing a sport a baseball player who has been criticized for lack of hustle The fans admire them for their hustle. a player known more for his hustle than his talent
2 informal : a dishonest plan for getting money : scam Now, the secret of any hustle is that you have to have information that the other guy doesn't have.— Paul Newman … a once-inspired con man on his last hustle …— Marilyn Stasio

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Other Words from hustle

Verb

hustler \ ˈhÉ™-​slÉ™r How to pronounce hustler (audio) \ noun

Examples of hustle in a Sentence

Verb

The guards hustled the prisoners into the jail. The star's manager hustled him out the back door of the theater to avoid the throngs of fans. He's not the most talented player on the team, but he always hustles. He's been hustling drugs for a few years. They hustle diamonds, furs—whatever people are buying.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Like Nathan Finnerty, who is again riding, leading a pack of kids toward the Lynn Woods Reservation, with his little brother Xavier hustling to keep up. Billy Baker, BostonGlobe.com, "The cruiser kids of Lynn," 18 July 2019 Passengers pushing luggage carts hustled to grab their tickets at self-service kiosks as others raced to catch flights, the sound of their rolling luggage following them. Melissa Yeager, azcentral, "The TWA Hotel at JFK: How to see this aviation history gem on your layover," 11 July 2019 While Tesla hustles to get its Model 3 production up to speed, there’s a new electric vehicle company strutting its stuff at the LA Auto Show this week. Kraig Becker, Popular Mechanics, "Rivian's Electric Truck and SUV Are Built to Tackle the Great Outdoors," 27 Nov. 2018 Despite their alarm at Mr. Banks retiring, Mr. Rechnitz and Mr. Reichberg never stopped hustling. Alan Feuer, New York Times, "Tracking Graft, From the Bootlegger to the Mayor," 27 Apr. 2018 Before he was charged with murder, Anderson was a 26-year-old homeless alcoholic with a long rap sheet who spent his days hustling for change in downtown San Jose. Katie Worth, WIRED, "Framed for Murder By His Own DNA," 19 Apr. 2018 Stephanie Johnson, of Flossmoor, hustled from work to the station but was left to find an affordable ride-share. Jessica Villagomez, chicagotribune.com, "Power problems on Metra Electric lead to delays to and from Millennium Station," 2 July 2019 He was hustled to a hospital, where family members gathered. Matt Flegenheimer, New York Times, "Biden’s First Run for President Was a Calamity. Some Missteps Still Resonate.," 3 June 2019 Google parent Alphabet continues to grow its core online ad business along with its constellation side hustles like smartphones and cloud computing. Fortune, "Alphabet," 1 July 2019

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

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First Known Use of hustle

Verb

1720, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1897, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for hustle

Verb

Dutch husselen to shake, from Middle Dutch hutselen, frequentative of hutsen

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More Definitions for hustle

hustle

verb