sharp [practice]
1
the act or practice of engaging in unethical or questionable business practices that are intended to gain an advantage over competitors or deceive customers
The origin of the idiom "sharp practice" can be traced to the business world of the 18th century Industrial Revolution period. During this era of expanding markets, some merchants engaged in cunning tactics like deception to secure an advantage over competitors. These individuals were referred to as "sharp" due to their crafty business methods and the term "sharp practice" was used to describe their methods. This phrase is often used to describe behavior that is self-serving and lacks in good faith or ethics.
- The company is being accused of sharp practice for misrepresenting shipping fees to unknowing online customers.
- The organization was guilty of sharp practice a decade ago when it failed to properly disclose conflicts of interest during a bidding process.
- If regulators find evidence of the planned accounting maneuvers, the startup could face scrutiny for engaging in sharp practice to inflate investor revenue projections.
- By the time the truth came out, the used car dealership had long been relying on sharp practices like rolling back odometers to profit off uninformed buyers.
- The political consultants are currently under fire for employing sharp practice tactics like astroturf campaigns to sway public opinion disingenuously.