thimblerig 1 of 2

verb

Definition of thimblerignext
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats had the feeling that I had just been thimblerigged by the sweetest-looking old lady

Synonyms & Similar Words

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thimblerig

2 of 2

noun

as in three-card monte

Related Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for thimblerig
  1. cheat
  2. three-card monte
  3. squeeze
  4. pyramid scheme
  5. pluck
  6. Ponzi scheme
  7. hustle
  8. racket
Verb
  • The rumors of cheating with addresses and recruiting players have run rampant, but many schools do it.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2026
  • The story of a cheating husband's double life racked up more than 23 million views in its first month, reaching the top ten in 62 countries, including the US, and the number one spot in almost two dozen countries.
    — Kate Bartlett, NPR, 24 July 2026
Definition of cheat
Noun
  • That subplot also introduces the metaphor of three-card monte that runs throughout the episode.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
  • The Moore administration has chosen the opposite approach, doubling down on spending while shuffling money around in a game of three-card monte.
    — J.B. Jennings, Baltimore Sun, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of three-card monte
Verb
  • Barbara Rainey, a Cherry resident of 76 years, said a school bus hit her cousin’s car while trying to squeeze between vehicles parked on either side.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026
  • Tournament football isn’t generally conducive to pressing, with so many matches squeezed into such a short window, and without the cohesion that comes from club sides training together for months.
    — Michael Cox, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of squeeze
Noun
  • 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.
    — John Otis, NPR, 21 June 2026
  • Attention online—which is to say, the modern entertainment industry at large—can look a bit like a pyramid scheme, with each lower layer trying to siphon a segment of audience away from the more famous one above.
    — Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 22 Apr. 2026
Definition of pyramid scheme
Verb
  • Alix Earle, and her younger sister Ashtin, have given the skinny brow trend their own proverbial thumbs up, plucking away their natural shape over the last year.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 27 July 2026
  • The clip, plucked out of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, spread like wildfire through the digital landscape.
    — Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of pluck
Noun
  • Uhls is accused of operating a Ponzi scheme since September 2024, the affidavit detailed.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026
  • My mother was conned twice — once by a Ponzi scheme, once by a diagnosis that dressed up as good health for too many years.
    — Marissa Stapley, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
Definition of Ponzi scheme
Verb
  • During a break Saturday, Freeling hustled home and caught two episodes before returning to the hotel where the rookies and younger players stay during camp ahead of curfew.
    — Joseph Person, New York Times, 27 July 2026
  • Americans are spending their days hustling and waiting for the opportunity to hustle, their days broken up into unpredictable units of work and languishing.
    — Xochitl Gonzalez, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
Definition of hustle
Noun
  • No one steps onto a tennis court without a racket that has been strung.
    — Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • This system means players adjust their tactics (and often their string tensions on their rackets) through each stretch.
    — James Hansen, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of racket
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

thigh-slappers
thimblerig
thimblerigged
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Cite this Entry

“Thimblerig.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thimblerig. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

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