sting operation
25
5.1
- noun
- /stɪŋ ˌɑpəˈreɪʃən/
:
operación encubierta
- I have her phone number because I'm running a sting operation.
You were privileged because you were working with the law in a way where you were creating situations, sting operations, that sort of thing.
- You were privileged because you were working with the law in a way where you were creating situations, sting operations, that sort of thing.
- I had actually a more specific reaction to the the secret tape, the sting operation news in which, as you say, we had.
Examples
-
Maybe help set up an FBI sting operation.
Fiction book (1993) -
Federal authorities said the public was not in danger at any point during its "sting" operation.
Blog text (34) -
Last summer I let a sting operation get out of control.
-
Maybe what we need to do is put together a little sting operation.
-
What kind of sting operation can you get off the ground before then?
-
Chandler police defended the sting operation, arguing it was the only way to get the job done.
Academic text (1999) -
Authorities set up a sting operation to target an armed terrorist group in the al-Qseir countryside.
Blog text (7) -
The FBI launches nationwide sting operations on computer hackers.
Academic text (2003) -
Newman Police have been busy with old-fashioned and Internet-based sting operations to round up those involved in prostitution.
Blog text (5) -
The police conducted a sting operation to catch the suspect selling illegal drugs.
Synonyms
67
6.3
A hidden trick to catch or cheat people often run by police
23
5.7
A secret action by a government or army to avoid being noticed
10
5.0
Secret work by police or agents who hide their identity to gather evidence
3
7.7
A secret activity planned and done to stay hidden, often by spies or soldiers
Antonyms
How Risky
87
6.8
25
5.1
67
6.3
10
5.0
23
5.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound directly combines 'sting' (an undercover con or deceptive setup) with 'operation' (a planned action), so a learner who knows those constituent meanings can infer an undercover law-enforcement action to catch criminals. This is a literal, compositional noun–noun construction common in English and comparable across languages, so it is predictable rather than idiomatic.
Etymology
Sting operation may come from the image of an insect's sting, a quick surprise attack, combined with operation meaning a planned action. Police set a trap and use fake people or money to 'catch someone committing a crime', so the phrase now means a secret police action that tricks people into breaking the law.