nobble
Americanverb (used with object)
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to drug or disable (a race horse) to prevent its winning a race.
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to convince (a person) by fraudulent methods; misrepresent or lie to.
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to swindle; defraud.
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to seize (a person); hold for arrest.
verb
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to disable (a racehorse), esp with drugs
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to win over or outwit (a person) by underhand means
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to suborn (a person, esp a juror) by threats, bribery, etc
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to steal; filch
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to get hold of; grab
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to kidnap
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nobble
First recorded in 1840–50; back formation from nobbler, variant of hobbler ( def. ) (dialectal phrase an 'obbler being taken as a nobbler )
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 other words, Mr Corbyn’s operation has decided it needs to ditch the flowery stuff and nobble its enemies.
From Economist ● Apr. 14, 2016
The pride is especially justified because of the grave problems that once seemed to doom New Orleans to gradual, perpetual decline, and which might have been expected to nobble its recovery.
From Economist ● Aug. 20, 2015
The senior officer denied allegations that the man was held and questioned in a bid to "nobble" him and sabotage attempts by Brendan McConville and John Paul Wootton to overturn their convictions.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2013
Oakeshott warns: "It is as wrong as it is stupid for anyone in Whitehall to be trying to nobble the Vickers commission even before it has done its interim report."
From The Guardian ● Apr. 2, 2011
"They want to nobble my poor little Contessa for brother-aëronaut, and they don't countenance chance meetings with strange young men," I said to myself, greatly amused.
From The Princess Passes by Williamson, A. M. (Alice Muriel)
If this player turns up and is not nobbled by either Manchester United in the FA Cup final or Inter Milan in the Champions League final I am convinced City will achieve the Treble.
From BBC ● May 29, 2023
A couple of hours before, Asher-Smith revealed a hamstring problem had nobbled her chances.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2021
Independence Day: Resurgence nobbled the original’s hero, Will Smith’s Steven Hiller, leaving behind a grieving son who then had to watch Roland Emmerich drop a million tonnes of masonry on his mum.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 21, 2020
But now, on our penultimate morning in Iran, as we waited for our meeting at the media company, we were nobbled by the representative of the Iranian travel agency, the pretty, fretful Ms Akhundi.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 7, 2015
Dekkyrative it's called, so the mivvy informed me who nobbled my tanner; I call it a little bit mixed, like the art on a Odd-Fellow's banner.
From Mr. Punch's Cockney Humour by Various
Is this the version of the Tom Hanks movie where Captain Sully Sullenberger spends the first act nobbling the engines?
From The Guardian ● Jun. 7, 2019
By nobbling Flood, South Africa removed England's most experienced player from the match.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 24, 2012
I seem to remember Iceland winning after nobbling Zaire's Pele-like talisman, who played in bare feet.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 8, 2010
The track's under a glass shield to stop you nobbling the horses.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
If they think they’re coming nobbling us about with their war-clubs and getting nothing back, they’re precious well mistaken, so scuffle up all you can, and— Oh!
From Jack at Sea All Work and no Play made him a Dull Boy by Overend, William Heysham
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.
