hustled; hustling
ˈhə-s(ə-)liŋ 
1
2
a
: to obtain by energetic activity
—usually used with up
hustle up new customers
try to hustle up some tickets to tonight's game
hustling 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
3
a
: 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
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.
1
a
: energetic activity
I … went about the hustle of summer life.—Stephen W. Kress
Stephen W. KressYou stepped out of Penn Station into the dizzying hustle of Eighth Avenue …—Colson Whitehead
Colson WhiteheadI 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
Paul Newman… a once-inspired con man on his last hustle …—Marilyn Stasio
Marilyn StasioSynonyms
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.
Recent Examples on the WebOlaf Blecker, The New Yorker, 22 Apr. 2024
The dynamic is palpable in New York City at the corners where immigrants hustle for work.
—Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hustle 
Verb
One motto in the baby-led-weaning world is that the parents decide what the child eats—no short-order cooking, hustling to mix pancakes because your toddler rejected his eggs—and the child decides how much.
—Olaf Blecker, The New Yorker, 22 Apr. 2024
The dynamic is palpable in New York City at the corners where immigrants hustle for work.
—Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hustle
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hustle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hustle
Cite this Entry
“Hustle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hustle. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hustle
verb
hus·tle
ˈhəs-əl
hustled; hustling
ˈhəs-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to push, crowd, or force forward roughly
hustled the prisoner to jail
2
: to move or work rapidly and tirelessly
3
: to sell something to or get something from by energetic and especially dishonest activity
hustle
noun
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