pyramid scheme
noun
: a usually illegal operation in which participants pay to join and profit mainly from payments made by subsequent participants
Examples of pyramid scheme in a Sentence
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Among them was the founder of a major pyramid scheme that defrauded thousands of Colombians of their savings, as well as Alex Saab, a Colombian businessman with close ties to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was later extradited to the United States on money-laundering charges.
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John Otis, NPR, 21 June 2026
The film is a go-for-broke expression of wild imagination and social consciousness that’s impossible not to admire for its wacky, bold vision, with teleporting, high fashion snobbery and pyramid schemes.
—ABC News, 20 May 2026
Parenting was the ultimate pyramid scheme.
—Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
Consumers were then recruited to join a pyramid scheme that sold credit repair services to others, costing them millions.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pyramid scheme
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John Otis, NPR, 21 June 2026
The film is a go-for-broke expression of wild imagination and social consciousness that’s impossible not to admire for its wacky, bold vision, with teleporting, high fashion snobbery and pyramid schemes.
—ABC News, 20 May 2026
Parenting was the ultimate pyramid scheme.
—Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
Consumers were then recruited to join a pyramid scheme that sold credit repair services to others, costing them millions.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pyramid scheme
Cite this Entry
“Pyramid scheme.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pyramid%20scheme. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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