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buckraking habit

buckraking habit

9.9
Making money in dishonest or unfair ways, often by public officials
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : práctica corrupta
  • The senator's buckraking habit was exposed by investigative journalists.

Examples

  • Many citizens are frustrated by the buckraking habit seen among public officials.

  • His buckraking habit eventually led to his resignation from office.

  • The senator's buckraking habit was exposed by the media.

  • Many politicians develop a buckraking habit over time.

  • Many citizens are frustrated by the buckraking habit seen among public officials.

  • The senator's buckraking habit was exposed by investigative journalists.

  • His buckraking habit eventually led to his resignation from office.

Synonyms

hanky-panky
vsbuckraking habit
  • Slang
8 8.6

Secret or dishonest actions that try to cheat people

is a formal pattern of making money by officials or professionals rather than casual mischief
corruptness
vsbuckraking habit
1 6.2

A habit of being dishonest and breaking rules to get money or power

is about a specific money making practice rather than a general character trait
crooked dealing
vsbuckraking habit
1 6.3

Dishonest behavior in business or money matters

is more specific to officials or professionals making money by improper methods
money-grubbing
vsbuckraking habit
  • Offensive
1 7.4

The act of trying to get as much money as possible, often dishonestly

is specifically about earning through improper methods in official or professional roles
jobbery
vsbuckraking habit
  • Archaic
9.9

Using a public office to get personal money or benefits

is a broader repeated pattern of making money by officials or professionals
crookery
vsbuckraking habit
9.5

Actions that cheat people to get their money

is focused on unethical profit methods by office holders or professionals rather than crime alone

Antonyms

447 4.3

Being honest and doing what is right

A quality of acting in a morally right way

How Corrupt

extortion
95 7.4
corruption
355 4.8
graft
14 8.2
buckraking habit
  • Archaic
9.9

Surface Forms

Morphology

buckraking + habit

The head 'habit' is transparent, and 'buckraking' appears to be a nonce compound built from 'buck' (slang for money) + 'raking' (as in 'raking in'), so a learner who knows those constituents could infer a pattern of making money. However the specific sense of doing so by unethical or improper methods (especially by officials) is not directly predictable from the parts, so the overall meaning is only partially recoverable.

Etymology

Buckraking habit gives a picture of someone using a rake to pull in bucks, with buck meaning money and raking meaning gathering again and again. That's why it means a repeated, often 'unethical' way for officials or professionals 'to make money'.