rip someone off

1. verb Literally, to tear or pull something off of someone or something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "rip" and " off." The throng of screaming fans nearly ripped the singer's shirt off. Luckily, I remembered to rip off the price tag before handing Sara her gift.

2. verb To steal (something). A noun or pronoun can be used between "rip" and "off." The kids were caught going to different shops around the city and ripping off snacks. If you're ripping cars off, you're going to get caught!

3. verb To plagiarize or shamelessly copy something or someone. A noun or pronoun can be used between "rip" and "off." I can't believe he ripped my idea off like that! Hey, that was my idea! Don't rip me off like that!

4. verb To steal from or defraud someone; to cheat or swindle someone. A noun or pronoun can be used between "rip" and "off." The guy said it was a great deal for such a rare album, but I'm starting to think he ripped me off. The CEO was convicted for ripping off nearly a quarter of a million customers over the course of a decade.

5. noun An instance of theft or fraud; a cheat or swindle. The phrase is often used to indicate that the product promised or advertised was not what was delivered. In this usage, the phrase is usually hyphenated or spelled as a single word. They sign you up for recurring payments but never actually send the magazines. It's just a big rip-off. This didn't even come with batteries? What a rip-off!

6. noun An instance of blatant or shameless plagiarism. In this usage, the phrase is usually hyphenated. It's a cool-looking movie, but the plot is a total rip-off of "Alien." This didn't even come with batteries? What a rip-off!