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mug's game

American  

noun

  1. a foolish, useless, or ill-advised venture.


Etymology

Origin of mug's game

First recorded in 1905–10

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.

You are comparing yourself to others, and that’s a mug’s game.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 14, 2025

Predictions, then, are a mug’s game - and here is your mug.

From BBC • Aug. 3, 2024

As I’ve written in the past, taking Moore as some sort of economic truth-teller is a mug’s game.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2023

Predicting the outcome of national elections can be a mug's game.

From Salon • Jan. 2, 2023

On the whole, I think it's a mug's game.

From The Spinners by Phillpotts, Eden