rob
To take something from a person or place by using force or threats.
To take money or property illegally from a person or place, often by using force or threats.
To take away a chance, right, or good thing from someone in an unfair way.
To deprive someone of something they deserve or should have, in a way that is considered unfair.
- Base: rob
- 3rd Person Singular: robs
- Present Participle: robbing
- Past: robbed
- Irregular present participle: robbing Verb
- Irregular past: robbed Verb
rob Peter to pay Paul
1Shift resources without solving problem
To take money or resources from one place to use in another, but not fix the real problem.
- Taking money from the maintenance budget to fund marketing is just robbing Peter to pay Paul.
- He paid off one debt by taking another loan — robbing Peter to pay Paul.
rob the cradle
1Be romantically involved with much younger person
To be in a romantic relationship with someone who is much younger than you.
- People whispered that he was robbing the cradle when he married his 20-year-old assistant.
- She joked about robbing the cradle when she started dating someone 15 years younger.
rob the cradle
2date someone much younger
To date or marry someone who is much younger than you, in a way that some people may find strange or wrong.
- People joked that he was robbing the cradle when he started dating a woman twenty years younger than him.
- She said she didn’t want to rob the cradle by going out with someone in his early twenties.
- He was teased for robbing the cradle after announcing his engagement.