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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.

See Examples For:

In a 2006 interview with BBC Radio 4, he told Patrick Humphries that he had come to the conclusion that writing was "a mug's game" and he didn't miss it.

From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2026

Interpreting stock market returns as snapshots of the economy is a mug’s game.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2025

Studies also indicate that trying to move deftly from sector to sector is a mug’s game.

From Slate ● Feb. 19, 2024

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

From The Spinners by Eden Phillpotts

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