highway robbery

American  

noun

1. robbery committed on a highway against travelers, as by a highwayman.

2. Informal. a price or fee that is unreasonably high; exorbitant charge.

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highway robbery British  

noun

1. informal blatant overcharging

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highway robbery Idioms  

1. The exaction of an exorbitantly high price or fee. For example, You paid ten dollars for that meat? That's highway robbery. This term, used figuratively since the late 1800s, alludes to literal robbery of travelers on or near a public road.

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Other Word Forms

• highway robber
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of highway robbery

First recorded in 1770–80

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

highway robbery

X user @BlackPanthaa called the new Xbox Series S price, external "absolutely disgusting", while a Reddit user said, external it was "highway robbery for a console released 6 years ago".

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

“This is highway robbery without a gun. It’s not just us that they’re taking from. It’s our families who struggle to make ends meet and send us money, they are the real victims.”

From The Guardian ● Jan. 15, 2018

I really don’t want to go back to the diapers and midnight feedings, etc., not to mention highway robbery of daycare costs.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2015

Pro Football Weekly: The magazine picks Seattle third in its preseason power rankings behind the 49ers and Broncos, stating: “GM John Schneider’s incredible drafting in 2012 is followed by highway robbery in ’13 free agency.’’

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 24, 2013

When his lordship was engaged at the Old Baily a man was convicted of highway robbery, whom the judge remembered to have been one of his early companions.

From Law and Laughter by George A. (George Alexander) Morton

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