sandbag

1 of 2

noun

sand·​bag ˈsan(d)-ˌbag 

: a bag filled with sand and used in fortifications, as ballast, or as a weapon

sandbag

2 of 2

verb

sandbagged; sandbagging; sandbags

transitive verb

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

are raiding the Treasury and sandbagging the government

—C. W. Ferguson

d

: to conceal or misrepresent one's true position, potential, or intent especially in order to gain an advantage over

intransitive verb

: to hide the truth about oneself so as to gain an advantage over another

sandbagger noun

Did you know?

How much nuance is there in a bag of sand? Here’s the nitty-gritty: when sandbag was first established as a verb in the 1800s, it meant (quite understandably) “to bank, stop up, or weight with sandbags,” but since then it has taken on several figurative meanings, some more obvious than others. First came the simple (and decidedly unfriendly in application) metaphorical extension: “to hit or stun as if with a sandbag.” Less literal uses followed, including “to treat unfairly or harshly” and “to coerce by crude means.” By the mid-20th century, sandbag was being used by poker players to describe the act of pretending a strong hand is actually weak, in order to draw other players into raising the bet. This use of sandbag has since evolved to refer to a general strategy of misrepresenting one’s intentions or abilities in order to gain some sort of advantage.

Synonyms

Verb

• blackjack
• coerce
• compel
• constrain
• dragoon
• drive
• force
• impel
• impress
• make
• muscle
• obligate
• oblige
• press
• pressure

Examples of sandbag in a Sentence

Verb

He claimed he was playing badly because of an injury, but I think he was sandbagging.

I think he was sandbagging us.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

After launching sandbags, retrieving some volleyballs and tossing them onto perches, Sam wins the challenge and the yummy lunch. —Nick Caruso, TVLine, 4 Dec. 2024

One video from Hillsborough County showed residents filling sandbags that will be used to protect their properties from rushing waters. —Greg Wehner, Fox News, 9 Oct. 2024

Verb

Rather than being an interesting new character to explore, Aiko’s existence sandbags large portions of the story for empty drama. —Isaiah Colbert, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2024

Competition among the more than 2 million sellers on the site is so fierce, merchants have even stooped to bribing Amazon workers to give their products an advantage and sandbag their competitors. —Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 15 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1561, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1838, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

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Kids Definition

sandbag

noun

sand·​bag

ˈsan(d)-ˌbag

: a bag filled with sand