sharp practice
Crafty or deceitful dealings, especially in business. For example, That firm's known for its sharp practice, so I'd rather not deal with them. This expression, first recorded in 1836, uses sharp in the combined sense of “mentally acute” and “cutting.”
RELATED CONTENT
RELATED WORDS
scam, hoax, deceit, racket, deception, extortion, rip-off, chicanery, stunt, dishonesty, razzle-dazzle, stratagem, machination, duplicity, infidelity, falsehood, fraud, trickery, mendacity, treachery
Nearby words
- sharon fruit,
- sharon, ariel,
- sharonville,
- sharp,
- sharp as a tack,
- sharp, william,
- sharp-cut,
- sharp-eared,
- sharp-edged,
- sharp-eyed
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Examples from the Web for sharp practice
But we, by dint of work and learning and sharp-practice, may prolong the agony once again.
Rich Living|Michael Cathal