Meaning & use
sandbag
Last updated
To deliberately hold back one's true ability or effort, especially to gain an unfair advantage or deceive someone.
See it in a sentence
The veteran poker player sandbagged his opponents by pretending to have a weak hand.
Some runners sandbag a qualifying race to get an easier seed in the finals.
A note on using this word
As a noun, a 'sandbag' is a literal bag filled with sand used for flood control or weight; the verb sense is figurative and often implies dishonesty.
Words with a similar meaning
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Another way to use it
2. noun
A bag filled with sand, used for building barriers against flooding or for ballast.
Volunteers stacked sandbags along the riverbank before the storm.
Make it your own
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