trick or treat
noun
variants
or trick-or-treat
: a Halloween practice in which children wearing costumes go from door to door in a neighborhood saying "trick or treat" when a door is opened to ask for treats with the implied threat of playing tricks on those who refuse
… a whimsical 1951 Saturday Evening Post cover on which costumed children are surprised by a disguised adult who opens the door for trick-or-treat.—
Antiques and The Arts Weekly
Antiques and The Arts Weekly
trick-or-treat
intransitive verb
trick-or-treated; trick-or-treating; trick-or-treats
I drive home at lunch and pick the boys up for trick-or-treating. Marcus is a rancher and Howie's an accountant. He's wearing thick fake lips and carrying a ledger. The Park's the only safe place to trick-or-treat anymore.
—George Saunders
George Saunders
trick-or-treater
noun
plural trick-or-treaters
A year ago, his wife suggested that he might feel better if he wore his old pirate-captain costume when he opened the door to trick-or-treaters, but a little boy in the first group of callers—a four-year-old who was ferociously costumed as a snaggletoothed monster—burst into tears at the sight of him.
—Calvin Trillin
Calvin Trillin
trick-or-treating
noun
This is a guy who went trick-or-treating in catcher's gear while the rest of his friends dressed as mummies and mass murderers.
—Franz Lidz
Franz Lidz
Examples of trick or treat in a Sentence
We got all dressed up for trick or treat.
When the door opened the kids all shouted “Trick or treat!”.
Recent Examples on the Web
Hancock County 2024 trick or treat hours, times Fortville trick or treat hours, times
Fortville's trick or treat will take place from 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31.
—Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Oct. 2024
Hamilton County 2024 trick or treat hours, times Arcadia trick or treat hours times
Arcadia's trick or treat will take place 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31.
—Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Oct. 2024
And will the weather trick or treat Kentuckians this year?
—Cheryl V. Jackson, The Courier-Journal, 30 Oct. 2024
And will the weather trick or treat Kentuckians this year?
Halloween events around Louisville
Louisville Halloween Events:From 'Dracula' to ghost tours, here are 22 spooky Halloween events in Louisville
Louisville Haunted Houses
Louisville Haunted Houses:Boo!
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for trick or treat 
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Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Oct. 2024
Hamilton County 2024 trick or treat hours, times Arcadia trick or treat hours times
Arcadia's trick or treat will take place 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31.
—Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Oct. 2024
And will the weather trick or treat Kentuckians this year?
—Cheryl V. Jackson, The Courier-Journal, 30 Oct. 2024
And will the weather trick or treat Kentuckians this year?
Halloween events around Louisville
Louisville Halloween Events:From 'Dracula' to ghost tours, here are 22 spooky Halloween events in Louisville
Louisville Haunted Houses
Louisville Haunted Houses:Boo!
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for trick or treat
Articles Related to trick or treat
Dictionary Entries Near trick or treat
Cite this Entry
“Trick or treat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trick%20or%20treat. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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