Noun: sting operation
- Operation designed to catch a person committing a criminal act
"the police conducted a sting operation";
- sting [informal]
- A complicated confidence game planned and executed with great care (especially an operation implemented by undercover agents to apprehend criminals)
"The sting operation successfully caught several corrupt officials"
Derived forms: sting operations
Type of: bunco [N. Amer, informal], bunco game [N. Amer, informal], bunko [N. Amer, informal], bunko game [N. Amer, informal], con [informal], con game [N. Amer, informal], con trick [Brit, informal], confidence game [N. Amer], confidence trick [Brit], flimflam [informal], hustle [informal], operation, sting [informal]
Encyclopedia: Sting operation