Sandbag - plus, start your holiday shopping with us!

[Merriam-Webster]( WORD OF THE DAY [December 7, 2018](#none) sandbag [Audio pronunciation]( verb | SAND-bag Definition 1 : to bank, stop up, or weight with sandbags 2 a : to hit or stun with or as if with a sandbag b : to treat unfairly or harshly c : to coerce by crude means d : to conceal or misrepresent one's true position, potential, or intent especially in order to take advantage over : to hide the truth about oneself so as to gain an advantage over another Scroll down for more about sandbag TRENDING NOW: [complicit]( [tariff]( [Godspeed]( [noblesse oblige]( [SEE ALL [>]]( PEOPLE ARE READING # [This History of 'Up to Snuff' is Up to Snuff]( # [To Be or Not To Be: A Look at Other Linking Verbs]( # [7 Words in the Wind]( # [What Does Your 'Gut' Tell You?]( WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE [Word Puzzles Round 2]( More word puzzles to rack your brain [PLAY NOW]( Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try! [TAKE ME THERE [>]]( Did You Know? In the 19th century, the verb sandbag began to be used to describe the act of bludgeoning someone with a small, sand-filled bag—a tactic employed by ruffians, usually as a prelude to robbing their victims. The verb went on to develop metaphorical extensions, such as "to coerce by crude means." By the 1940s, it was being used of a strategy in which a poker player with a good hand bets weakly, in order to draw other players into holding on to their hands and raising the bet. The use of sandbag has since evolved to refer to a general strategy of playing down one's position in order to gain some sort of advantage. Examples of SANDBAG Management must have realized that reading employee survey responses aloud at the company-wide meeting would make employees feel sandbagged, but they chose to do it anyway. "Lock's season began with Heisman Trophy dreams. It has detoured toward a familiar and unfortunate destination, the place where the quarterback's career numbers are sandbagged by his struggles when the spotlight shines." — Ben Frederickson, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 3 Nov. 2018 Test Your Vocabulary Fill in the blanks to complete a word that refers to language that is used to deceive through concealment or misrepresentation of truth: _ o _ _ l _ s _ ea _. [VIEW THE ANSWER [>]]( NEW MERCH Start your holiday shopping! Check out our new selection of onsies, t-shirts, mugs, and more. Guaranteed you’ll find something for everyone on your list. [SHOP NOW [>]]( MORE WORD FUN: [WORD GAMES [>]]( [TRENDING NOW [>]]( [WORDS AT PLAY [>]]( FOLLOW US: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( [Pinterest]( SHARE: [Facebook][Facebook]( [Twitter][Twitter]( [View this email in a web browser]( You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day. [Unsubscribe from Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day]( [Manage your subscription settings]( Merriam-Webster, Inc. 47 Federal Street P.O. Box 281 Springfield, MA 01102 [www.merriam-webster.com](