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
Recent Examples on the Web
Traffickers charge high fees and force victims to recruit friends and family in exchange for improved conditions, furthering a pyramid scheme model, Interpol said.
—
Ope Adetayo, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
The North Texas couple behind a multimillion-dollar pyramid scheme who targeted the African-American community has been found guilty by a federal jury in Sherman.
—Brian Womack, Dallas Morning News, 9 Jan. 2026
Chinese authorities have accused the group of being a pyramid scheme and a cult.
—Didi Kirsten Tatlow, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
For the Klan, Clarke and Tyler settled on a good old-fashioned American pyramid scheme.
—Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pyramid scheme
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Ope Adetayo, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
The North Texas couple behind a multimillion-dollar pyramid scheme who targeted the African-American community has been found guilty by a federal jury in Sherman.
—Brian Womack, Dallas Morning News, 9 Jan. 2026
Chinese authorities have accused the group of being a pyramid scheme and a cult.
—Didi Kirsten Tatlow, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
For the Klan, Clarke and Tyler settled on a good old-fashioned American pyramid scheme.
—Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2025
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 29 Jan. 2026.
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