mugging
mugging — noun
1. a street crime in which a person physically attacks or threatens someone on the
a street crime in which a person physically attacks or threatens someone on the street or in another outdoor area, aiming to take their money, phone, or other belongings.
Eli was the victim of a mugging on his way home from the train station.
collocation: victim of a mugging
The police arrested two teenagers in connection with a series of muggings downtown.
plural: muggings; series of muggings
After the mugging, Baraka reported the stolen wallet to the nearest police station.
Muggings in this area became much less common after the city installed more street lights.
- robbery
broader term; robbery can happen in any place (banks, stores), while a mugging always happens to a person in a public space.
- hold-up
less formal; can refer to robbery of an institution (bank hold-up) or of a person.
- street robbery
formal equivalent; used in police reports and crime statistics.
用法筆記
Often used with the definite article ('the mugging') when referring to a specific incident, or in the plural to talk about the phenomenon in general.