mugging

American

[muhg-ing] / ˈmʌg ɪŋ /

noun

an assault or threat of violence upon a person, especially with intent to rob.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

muggings

plural

Etymology

Origin of mugging

First recorded in 1840–50; mug + -ing ¹

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.

It all certainly casts a spell, but the narrative devolves into atmospheric mush interpolated with too many images of Hathaway mugging and posing.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Too often, it looked like a regulatory mugging of children with rare diseases.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

In a statement, Haigh said she told police she had lost her phone during a mugging on a night out in 2013 but later found it had not been taken.

From BBC • Nov. 28, 2024

His rants are hilarious, and Ruffalo’s mugging is a comic highlight.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2024

And mugging for the cameras with Cinnamon the rat licking her nose.

From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli

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