loan-sharking

noun

loan-shark·​ing ˈlōn-ˌshär-kiŋ How to pronounce loan-sharking (audio)
: the practice of lending money at exorbitant rates of interest

Examples of loan-sharking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Meanwhile, the 1920s big shots commanded teams of killers and were engaged in a variety of underworld rackets, including bookmaking, loan-sharking, robbery, and extortion. Selwyn Raab, Foreign Affairs, 25 June 2012 More recently, the town was known for its robust trade in secondhand minibuses and as a center for loan-sharking. Gamze Yilmazel, Washington Post, 27 July 2023 Over the past 15 years, the commission with an annual budget of $14 million has helped bring down dozens of members of organized crime as well as union officials in the International Longshoremen’s Association on charges including loan-sharking, money-laundering and extortion. Jess Bravin, WSJ, 1 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of loan-sharking was in 1914

Dictionary Entries Near loan-sharking

Cite this Entry

“Loan-sharking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loan-sharking. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

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