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Houdini

American  
[hoo-dee-nee] / huˈdi ni /

noun

  1. Harry Erik WeiszorErich Weiss, 1874–1926, U.S. magician.

Houdini British  
/ huːˈdiːnɪ /

noun

  1. Harry, real name Ehrich Weiss. 1874–1926, US magician and escapologist

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Whatever the reason for the escape from Monday’s depths, Harry Houdini has nothing on the Nasdaq Composite.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

Chicago is having a magical season, and Caleb Williams is Houdini.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2025

Rayner was attempting a "Houdini act" by focusing on "whether she wasn't or was a member at this juncture," and said Labour should instead be asking where it was "going wrong".

From BBC • Jul. 12, 2025

There were Navajo rugs; custom, Western-style Monterey couches and chairs; and hundreds of books, including signed first-editions by Theodore Roosevelt, Helen Keller and Harry Houdini.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2025

“I know who I want to be: the Great Timdini, magician extraordinaire. Because Tim is my name and the ‘dini’ is for Houdini.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.