Synonyms of hustle

hustle 1 of 2

noun

1

as in rush

excited and often showy or disorderly speed

enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the holiday season

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rush
• hurry
• scramble
• speed
• precipitation
• bustle
• haste
• quickness
• hastiness
• precipitousness
• dash
• stir
• scurry
• velocity
• impetuousness
• scuttle
• impulsiveness
• impulsivity
• stampede
• flurry
• flutter
• beeline
• expedition
• rapidity
• swiftness
• promptness
• rashness
• whirl
• impetuosity
• celerity
• dispatch
• promptitude
• fleetness
• hotheadedness
• rapidness
• speediness
• fastness
• expeditiousness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• deliberation
• deliberateness
• slowness
• procrastination
• lethargy
• lateness
• inertia
• sluggishness
• languor
• inaction
• torpor
• inactivity
• dilatoriness
• pokiness
• inertness
• quiescence
• leisureliness
• dormancy

2

as in ambition

readiness to engage in daring or difficult activity

with his characteristic hustle, he had all the plans for the conference lined up in a matter of days

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ambition
• initiative
• action
• drive
• aggressiveness
• enterprise
• spirit
• grit
• go
• vigor
• energy
• gumption
• spunk
• pluck
• killer instinct
• starch
• assertiveness
• pep
• ambitiousness
• vitality
• self-reliance
• snap
• hardihood
• overambitiousness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• inertia
• inactivity
• passivity
• hesitation
• reluctance
• timidity
• diffidence
• laziness
• lethargy
• indolence
• faintheartedness

3

as in scam

an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value

a clever hustle that tricked people into revealing their bank account information

Synonyms & Similar Words

• scam
• fraud
• con
• swindle
• sting
• shell game
• flimflam
• scheme
• fiddle
• bunco
• hoax
• trick
• device
• cross
• racket
• Ponzi scheme
• dodge
• counterfeit
• pyramid scheme
• fix
• ploy
• jig
• wile
• stratagem
• soaking
• fake
• gouging
• rip-off
• sham
• gimmick
• forgery
• phony
• overcharging
• sleight
• humbug
• three-card monte
• thimblerig

hustle

2 of 2

verb

ˈhə-səl 

1

as in to struggle

to devote serious and sustained effort

everyone really hustled to get the project finished on schedule

Synonyms & Similar Words

• struggle
• labor
• strive
• work
• endeavor
• try
• toil
• slave
• sweat
• tug
• plow
• hump
• strain
• dig (away)
• drudge
• plug
• bang away
• grub
• plod
• slog
• travail
• apply (oneself)
• peg (away)
• beaver (away)
• fag
• sweat blood
• moil
• buckle (down)
• drive
• attack
• exercise
• pitch in
• exert
• overwork
• essay
• scratch
• wade
• eke out
• dig in
• knuckle down
• hammer (away)
• grind (out)
• trudge
• overexert
• put out
• scrabble

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• break
• ease (up)
• bum
• slacken
• rest
• let up
• chill
• hang (around or out)
• lounge
• shirk
• idle
• relax
• hack (around)
• goof (off)
• laze
• slack (off)
• unwind
• bask
• loaf
• play
• repose
• hang
• loll
• veg out
• fool around
• dabble
• trifle
• goldbrick
• footle
• dillydally
• goof (around)
• dally
• mess around
• monkey (around)
• doodle
• hang about
• putter (around)
• potter (around)
• fribble

2

as in to speed

to proceed or move quickly

we'd better hustle, or we'll miss the train

Synonyms & Similar Words

• speed
• hurry
• rush
• race
• travel
• drive
• scurry
• fly
• trot
• zip
• chase
• buzz
• jump
• run
• scoot
• blow
• bustle
• step
• dash
• dart
• tear
• blast
• scuttle
• career
• rip
• motor
• breeze
• shoot
• jog
• zoom
• whirl
• bowl
• rustle
• ram
• course
• crack (on)
• jet
• hump
• hare
• bolt
• blaze
• rocket
• belt
• bundle
• hurl
• barrel
• highball
• hasten
• hurtle
• whisk
• beat it
• nip
• hie
• get a move on
• pelt
• make tracks
• careen
• gallop
• bomb
• step on it
• shake a leg
• hotfoot (it)
• cannonball
• streak
• flit
• scamper
• sprint
• accelerate
• stampede
• whiz
• beetle
• scuffle
• overtake
• outrun
• step out
• quicken
• outpace
• catch up
• outstrip
• scud
• arrow
• fast-forward
• beeline

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• creep
• drag
• crawl
• hang (around or out)
• poke
• lag
• linger
• dawdle
• loiter
• stroll
• poke
• shuffle
• tarry
• amble
• slow (down or up)
• saunter
• lumber
• plod
• decelerate
• dillydally
• dally

3

as in to pluck

to rob by the use of trickery or threats

a swindler who hustled cashiers by getting them all confused while they were making change

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pluck
• squeeze
• cheat
• sting
• beat
• stick
• do
• screw
• shortchange
• flimflam
• defraud
• deceive
• swindle
• trick
• short
• sucker
• rook
• shake down
• stiff
• victimize
• bleed
• rip off
• con
• skin
• fiddle
• gaff
• bilk
• fool
• exploit
• chouse
• ream
• chisel
• fleece
• diddle
• euchre
• mulct
• take for a ride
• skunk
• cozen
• take to the cleaners
• nobble
• hose
• extort
• betray
• thimblerig
• wrench
• do in
• soak
• nick
• sell a bill of goods to
• clip
• overcharge
• gouge
• wrest
• milk
• bitch
• rope (in)
• wring
• gull
• dupe
• bamboozle
• double-cross
• fast-talk

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hustle

Noun

Esteury Ruiz’s hustle enabled the visiting Miami Marlins to score the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, leading to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night. — Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026

The show only exists because McConaughey and Harrelson decided to make it, and whatever passion, knowledge, grit, and hustle was needed to turn a celebrity indulgence into scripted entertainment is undetectable in the final product. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 23 Sep. 2026

Verb

David was an underdog, often underlooked in the Bay Area music scene, but was never afraid to give free ideas and unwavering support without expectation ever … David and I hustled. — Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 11 Sep. 2026

Facing questions about a totally different set of Piker comments, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hustled into an elevator. — Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2026