sharp practice

Idioms  

1. Crafty or deceitful dealings, especially in business. For example, That firm's known for its sharp practice, so I'd rather not deal with them. This expression, first recorded in 1836, uses sharp in the combined sense of “mentally acute” and “cutting.”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sharp practice

You have experienced some sharp practice, and you need a blunt approach.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026

Crypto trading has become identified by regulators and in the public mind as a haven for scams, theft and other forms of sharp practice.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2025

“There was a lot of sharp practice around.”

From The Guardian ● May 10, 2018

Housing spokesman John Healey said his party would end this "sharp practice".

From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2017

In their circle, it was held to be no disgrace to import goods illegally, but rather sharp practice was accounted a sign of canny business acumen.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson

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Related Words

• chicanery
• corruption
• criminality
• deceit
• duplicity
• falsehood
• fraud
• graft
• infidelity
• mendacity
• treachery
• trickery

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