Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A bag filled with sand and used as ballast, in the formation of protective walls, or as a weapon.
  • intransitive verb To put sandbags in or around.
  • intransitive verb To hit with a sandbag.
  • intransitive verb To treat severely or unjustly.
  • intransitive verb To force by crude means; coerce.
  • intransitive verb To downplay or misrepresent one's ability in a game or activity in order to deceive (someone), especially in gambling.
  • intransitive verb To downplay or misrepresent one's ability in order to deceive someone, especially in gambling.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To hit or beat with a sand-bag.
  • noun A bag filled with sand.
  • noun A cylindrical tube of flexible and strong material filled with sand, by which a heavy blow may be struck which leaves little or no mark on the skin: a weapon used by ruffians.
  • noun A bag of sand which was attached to a quintain.
  • noun A long narrow bag of fiannel, filled with sand, used to cover crevices between window-sashes or under doors, or laid on the stage of a theater behind flats and wings to prevent lights at the back from shining through the spaces left at junctions.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A bag filled with sand; small sandbags may be used as a weapon, or larger ones to build walls or as ballast.
  • verb To treat harshly or unfairly.
  • verb To hit something or somebody with or as if with a sandbag.
  • verb To protect or strengthen with sandbags; stop up.
  • verb informal To thwart (another person's plans) by surreptitious maneuvers.
  • verb Informal To intimidate or coerce, especially by crude methods.
  • verb Informal To deceive and take advantage of (a person) by misrepresenting one's true intentions.
  • verb (Poker) To encourage opponents into betting more by first refraining from betting while having a strong hand, and only later raising the stakes. In informal games, certain types of sandbagging are forbidden.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun a bag, filled with sand, that can be used to weigh something down, to make a defensive wall against flooding etc, or as a weapon
  • verb To construct a wall of sandbags (around something).
  • verb transitive To strike someone with a sandbag or other object to disable or render unconscious.
  • verb transitive To deceive someone by pretending to be weak, or (in cards) to have a weak hand.
  • verb To pretend to drink early on so that as the night draws on one can drink everyone "under the table".

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb hit something or somebody as if with a sandbag
  • verb downplay one's ability (towards others) in a game in order to deceive, as in gambling
  • verb treat harshly or unfairly
  • verb protect or strengthen with sandbags; stop up
  • verb compel by coercion, threats, or crude means
  • noun a bag filled with sand; used as a weapon or to build walls or as ballast

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Ludlum stressed that long-term sandbag storage is a pilot project.

    Homepage | INFORUM | Fargo, ND 2010

  • I'm thinking shooting offhand is true love and a sandbag is a one night stand.

    Video Blog: Shooting Over A Chronograph 2009

  • I'm thinking shooting offhand is true love and a sandbag is a one night stand.

    Video Blog: Shooting Over A Chronograph 2009

  • First, while a sandbag is the building block of a levee, no one sandbag can do what the whole levee does.

    David Katz, M.D.: A New Tool for Healthy Living M.D. David Katz 2011

  • First, while a sandbag is the building block of a levee, no one sandbag can do what the whole levee does.

    David Katz, M.D.: A New Tool for Healthy Living M.D. David Katz 2011

  • First, while a sandbag is the building block of a levee, no one sandbag can do what the whole levee does.

    The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com M.D. David Katz 2011

  • However, the charges of lefty partisanship seemed misguided; the movie we made criticizes Barack Obama for tailoring himself a State Senate district, Nancy Pelosi for opposing redistricting reform in California, the Democratic party for using black voters to "sandbag" white Democratic districts in the South, and opens with a clip of Ronald Reagan decrying Democratic gerrymanders!

    Jeff Reichert: You Can't Please Everyone 2010

  • However, the charges of lefty partisanship seemed misguided; the movie we made criticizes Barack Obama for tailoring himself a State Senate district, Nancy Pelosi for opposing redistricting reform in California, the Democratic party for using black voters to "sandbag" white Democratic districts in the South, and opens with a clip of Ronald Reagan decrying Democratic gerrymanders!

    Jeff Reichert: You Can't Please Everyone Jeff Reichert 2010

  • The Gillard Government is attempting to "sandbag" the three electorates, plus Mackay-based

    NEWS.com.au | Top Stories 2010

  • Abbott anticipates a massive assault on his credibility and and a concerted effort by Labor to '' sandbag '' marginal seats.

    The Age News Headlines 2010

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