to shaft

Examples

• All

• It's guys like me that get shafted, not you, not the guys giving orders.

  Timebomb (1991)

• Look, I would feel shafted if we didn't do it.

  What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012)

• Here's your chance to really shaft him.

  Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)

• Are you telling me you got shafted?

  The Crew (2008)

• The rest of us, we try to do everything by the book - and we get shafted.

  Doghouse (2009)

• American radio has a long history of shafting Black artists, especially when it comes to older performers.

  Blog text (10)

• I hope she doesn't feel that she got shafted on on her contract.

• Of all the people that shouldn't get shafted, it is those that put their lives on the line.

  Blog text (4)

• Individuals and couples making less than $100,000 will be utterly shafted by increased withholding.

  Blog text (3)

• Many employees feel that their managers tend to shaft them during performance reviews.

Synonyms

S

to screw

vsto shaft

• Informal

∞ 7.8

To cheat someone to get an advantage, often by lying

focuses on general unfair treatment rather than the trickery method

C

to cheat

vsto shaft

474 1.2

To act dishonestly to gain an unfair advantage

is about treating someone unfairly rather than breaking rules to gain

C

to chouse

vsto shaft

9.9

To trick someone and take their money or things

covers unfair treatment more broadly rather than only deceptive swindling

Compounds

E

elevator shaft

• Specialized

18 3.5

A tall narrow space in a building where an elevator moves up and down between floors

A

air shaft

6 4.7

A vertical passage in a building or mine that lets air move through spaces

V

ventilation shaft

• Specialized

5 4.5

A passage in a building that lets fresh air in and stale air out

S

shaft of light

4 3.5

A narrow beam of light that shines through an opening and lights a small area

T

transmission shaft

• Specialized

1 5.2

A metal rod that turns to carry power from an engine to the wheels

B

butt shaft

• Specialized

9.9

An arrow with a blunt tip used for safe target practice

R

rotating shaft

• Specialized

4.4

A rod that turns to move parts in a machine

R

rotor shaft

• Specialized

6.0

A long middle bar that the main rotor spins around in a helicopter

S

shaft encoder

• Specialized

8.0

A device that measures how a shaft turns and sends that information as a signal

S

shaft furnace

• Specialized

8.9

A tall vertical furnace that forces hot gas up through solid material to melt metal

S

shaft louse

• Specialized

9.9

A small insect that lives on chickens' feathers and causes itching

How Unfair

to swindle

20 5.5

to defraud

• Formal

40 6.9

to shaft

• Informal

11 7.7

to shortchange

5 5.3

Surface Forms

Etymology