sandbagging
Deliberately hiding ability
Sandbagging is deliberately underperforming or concealing strength to gain an advantage later.
In poker, it means checking with a strong hand to lure opponents into betting.
In business or sports, someone sandbags by lowering expectations so they can exceed them: He's sandbagging—he'll crush those sales targets.
The term evokes weighted bags slowing someone down on purpose.
Deceiving about one's position
- hustleEnergetic, aggressive action
- underperformingDoing worse than expected
- tankingDeclining rapidly, collapsing
- rope-a-dopePassive defense until exhaustion
feigning · misleading · disguise · lowballing · pretense · subterfuge · concealment
River flood barrier
- dikeWall against flooding
- embankmentRaised earth structure
- floodwallBarrier against rising water
- bermRaised strip alongside roads
barrier · floodgate · spillway · riverbank · breach · overflow · inundation · floodplain
Doing worse than expected
- withholdingKeeping from another
- low-effortRequiring minimal work
- quotaFixed assigned amount
- baselineStandard for comparison
expectations · understating · deflecting · promotion · evaluation · metrics
Hearth implement for coals
- poolCollective fund or basin
- golfClub-and-ball course sport
- bowlingPin-toppling pastime
- chessStrategic board game
handicap · rating · tournament · bracket · hustler · shark · betting · stakes
Winning without cheating outright
- stallingIntentional delay tactics
- psychologicalOf the mind
- calculatedFigured out mathematically
- ambushSurprise strike from concealment
surprise · timing · setup · misdirection · positioning · baiting · trap · patience
bluffing
Deceiving about one's position
- hustleEnergetic, aggressive action
- underperformingDoing worse than expected
- tankingDeclining rapidly, collapsing
rope-a-dope · feigning · misleading · disguise · lowballing · pretense · subterfuge · concealment
levee
River flood barrier
- dikeWall against flooding
- embankmentRaised earth structure
- floodwallBarrier against rising water
berm · barrier · floodgate · spillway · riverbank · breach · overflow · inundation · floodplain · volunteer
underperforming
Doing worse than expected
- withholdingKeeping from another
- low-effortRequiring minimal work
- quotaFixed assigned amount
baseline · expectations · understating · deflecting · promotion · evaluation · metrics
poker
Hearth implement for coals
chess · handicap · rating · tournament · bracket · hustler · shark · betting · stakes · amateur
gamesmanship
Winning without cheating outright
- stallingIntentional delay tactics
- psychologicalOf the mind
- calculatedFigured out mathematically
ambush · surprise · timing · setup · misdirection · positioning · baiting · trap · patience · endgame
- racing tacticsovertaking, drafting, late braking, racing line, pit strategy
- card gamespoker, blackjack, solitaire, hearts, spades
- emergency responsefirst responders, emergency services, fire alarm, 911, call 911
- floodsflood damage, flood warning, deluge, flood warnings, flash floods
- dirty trickscheating, lying, deceit, trickery, deception
- flood responseflood relief, flood warning, flood control, flood barriers, evacuation plans
sandbagginggoing all out
Exerting total effort
overachieving · overperforming · hustling · grinding · maximum effort
sandbaggingtransparency
State of being see-through
full disclosure · candor · honesty · forthrightness · laying cards on the table
sandbaggingflexing
Contracting muscles voluntarily
showboating · grandstanding · intimidation · posturing · chest-thumping
sand, sandy, sandbox, sanded, sanding, sandpaper, sandstorm, sandbag, sander