rip off

You cheat someone, especially by making them pay far too much.

• Some shops rip off tourists.
• I paid too much; they ripped me off.
• Do you think the mechanic is ripping us off?

How to use it: rip someone off (That taxi driver ripped us off.)

Similar words: cheat, swindle, overcharge

Common phrases: rip off someone, rip off tourists

You copy someone’s work or ideas without permission or without saying where they came from.

• They ripped off my idea.
• That song rips off an older hit.
• The company was accused of ripping off a rival’s design.

How to use it: rip something off from someone (They ripped the design off from a small artist.)

Similar words: copy, plagiarize

Common phrases: rip off an idea, rip off a design

You remove something by pulling it hard enough to tear it away.

• Rip off the paper cover.
• He ripped the sleeve off his shirt.
• Someone had ripped off the warning label.

How to use it: rip something off something (She ripped the label off the bottle.)

Similar words: tear off

Common phrases: rip off something, rip off the label

You take something that belongs to someone else without permission.

• Someone ripped off my watch.
• The thieves ripped off several laptops from the office.
• He was caught ripping off cash from the till.

How to use it: rip something off (Someone ripped my bike off last night.)

Similar words: steal, nick

Common phrases: rip off something, rip off a bike