1
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
giving the new guy at work her cell phone number—"in case of an emergency"—was just a flimflam to pique his romantic interest
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in scam
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
just the latest Internet flimflam to get e-mail recipients to reveal bank account numbers and other personal information
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
everyone likes to think that they're too smart to be flimflammed by anyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flimflam
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
Marty Supreme is a movie about a charismatic flimflam man, and so its press tour has been full of flim and also flam.
—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
17 Dec. 2025
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for flimflam
Noun
Not in crushing debt, but in rejecting American culture’s pervasive backward slide into premodern flimflam.
—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
Marty Supreme is a movie about a charismatic flimflam man, and so its press tour has been full of flim and also flam.
—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
But liars like Kari Lake, who lost a bid for Arizona governor by parroting former President Trump’s falsehoods and hopes now to flimflam her way to a Senate seat, are only the most visible threat to our system of democracy.
—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for flimflam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flimflam
Noun
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Early the next morning, the authorities were at Burdette’s door, this time without a ruse.
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Of course, this could all be a literally and figurative swift ruse on the part of the Miss Americana superstar and her Super Bowl-winning fiancé.
Noun
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Even worse, many of those scams targeted older individuals and are getting even more money from them than in years past.
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Generally, men and women are equally victimized by scammers, said Amy Nofziger, senior director of victim support for the AARP Fraud Watch Network, a free resource for consumers to learn about scams and report them.
Verb
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The fans were cheated Sunday out of a chance to see an interesting pitching matchup between Shota Imanaga and Dylan Cease, the former Cubs farmhand and former White Sox pitcher.
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For example, a spouse who catches their partner cheating and kills someone in the heat of emotion.
Noun
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Prosecutors allege Eidleh, along with other members of the scheme, solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies seeking approval to operate fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program sites.
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This has fueled the ‘spend not sell’ movement, in which builders seek to familiarize users with earning and spending their bitcoin rather than trading and falling for get-rich-quick schemes.
Noun
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David Vander Meer, 49, was being held at Clark County Detention Center on first-degree murder and insurance fraud charges stemming from the death of his wife, Bernadette, two decades ago.
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According to prosecutors, Eidleh deposited more than $5 million in fraud proceeds, kickbacks and bribes into accounts associated with shell companies in an effort to conceal the source of the money.
Verb
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Langford was injured during Friday’s game after hustling on a double.
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Shehadeh, a son of Palestinian immigrants, learned to hustle from his hard-working but largely absent father.
Noun
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Boutique gems, new offers win the day Elevated VIP-style vacays with truffles, oysters and bubbly are attainable with some tips and tricks.
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Sora Shirai captured victory after maintaining his lead through the best trick section, while teammates Kairi Netsuke and Toa Sasaki climbed from the bottom of the leaderboard with clutch final tricks to complete a Japanese podium sweep.
Verb
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Home Depot and rival Lowe’s must also confront a weak housing market, which has been stung by stubbornly high interest rates and rising building material expenses.
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Christie Ray/Queen Bee Supply via AP A photojournalist from CBS affiliate KDFM also captured video despite being stung , the station reported.
Cite this Entry
“Flimflam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flimflam. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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