1
as in bonus
something given in addition to what is ordinarily expected or owed
the clerk at Calcutta airport was clearly angling for a little cumshaw on the side
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in bribe
something given or promised in order to improperly influence a person's conduct or decision
the captain slipped the customs official his customary cumshaw at the Port of Shanghai
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cumshaw
Noun
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The second bonus is $1 million if Burns appears in more than 70 games in 2025-26, and averages more than 23 minutes of ice time.—
Carol Schram,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025 -
Add herbs like rosemary or mint for a bonus fragrance and to incorporate more of your garden.—
Lauren Thomann,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 July 2025
Noun
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For instance, Sugihara’s self-discovery occurs after his family pays a bribe to switch their citizenship from North Koreans to South Koreans—just so that his parents can visit Hawai‘i.—
H.M.A. Leow,
JSTOR Daily,
11 July 2025
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By his own admission, the Mexican lawman known as El Diablo — The Devil — supervised a scourge of torture, murder, kidnappings, land grabs and other abuses while amassing a fortune in cartel bribes that bankrolled purchases of homes, cattle and a fleet of buses.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 July 2025
Noun
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But American science, including space science, has paid enormous dividends in keeping the nation strong, prosperous, and worthy of the world’s respect.—
Adam Frank,
The Atlantic,
4 July 2025
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That echoed our commentary yesterday after Club names Goldman and Wells Fargo announced big dividend hikes.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
3 July 2025
Noun
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The price is comparable to competitors, plus the products are regularly on sale with free shipping and gifts.—
Stewart Savin,
Architectural Digest,
8 July 2025
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Peacocks were offered as a gift to the UN by India’s permanent mission in the 1980s and, as a result, the UN gardens are full of them.—
Isabelle Mayault,
The Dial,
8 July 2025
Noun
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The administration’s efforts to stop this gravy train threaten the climate house of cards built up for decades.—
Peter Murphy,
Boston Herald,
14 May 2025
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This just-okay kids’ film — the sort trying to capitalize on the Harry Potter gravy train way after the fact — is set in the 1950s as a boy, Lewis (Owen Vaccaro), is sent to live with his eccentric uncle Jonathan (Jack Black) after his parents’ tragic death.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
15 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Cumshaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cumshaw. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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