shop-lifting

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Theft from a store: "shop-lifting" refers to the act of stealing goods from a retail establishment while pretending to be a customer.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The store installed security cameras to prevent shop-lifting. (Theft from the store.)
  • He was arrested for shop-lifting a pair of shoes. (Stealing an item from a shop.)

Advanced Usage

• "to commit shop-lifting": to engage in the act of stealing from a store.

  • She committed shop-lifting for the first time and felt guilty afterward. (She stole from a shop.)

• "to be charged with shop-lifting": to be formally accused of stealing from a store.

  • The teenager was charged with shop-lifting after the incident at the mall. (Accused of theft from a retail store.)

Variants and Related Words

• Shop-lifter (n): a person who steals goods from a store.

  • The shop-lifter was caught by the security guard. (The thief in a store.)

• Shop-lift (v): to steal goods from a store.

  • He attempted to shop-lift a candy bar but was seen by the clerk. (To steal from a shop.)

Synonyms

• Theft: the act of taking someone else's property without permission.
• Stealing: the action of taking something dishonestly.
• Pilfering: stealing items of small value, often in a casual or repeated manner.

Related Idioms

• Five-finger discount: a humorous or informal term for stealing from a store.

  • He got a five-finger discount on the sunglasses. (He stole the sunglasses.)

• To lift something: (informal) to steal something, especially from a store.

  • She lifted a lipstick from the drugstore. (She stole a lipstick.)