mountebank

noun

ˈmau̇n-ti-ˌbaŋk How to pronounce mountebank (audio)
Definition of mountebanknext
as in fraud
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise claimed that many doctors were frauds and mountebanks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of mountebank Good afternoon and welcome to Con Con, the convention for swindlers, mountebanks, and the people who love them. — Henry Alford, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025 Godard might have come across as a species of poseur – a pretentious, quote-spouting mountebank – but his way of seeing was genuinely new. — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Nov. 2025 Gould observed that Jerry Falwell had taken up the mountebank’s mission of William Jennings Bryan. — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024 Now, this pallid Color Purple epitomizes the artistic dearth of an era when a cultural mountebank like Winfrey uses race and feminist guile to cheat us of America’s most creative achievements. — Armond White, National Review, 3 Jan. 2024 The alternative circumstance, that crackpots and mountebanks might claim such evidence exists, then fail to produce any, is, on the other hand, entirely plausible and familiar. — Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 31 July 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mountebank
  1. fraud
  2. sham
  3. pretender
  4. charlatan
  5. fake
  6. deceiver
  7. quack
  8. impostor
Noun
  • Colorado has no shortage of important legal priorities, from protecting consumers against fraud to addressing the complex issues facing families and businesses across the state.
    — Robin Rossenfeld, Denver Post, 28 Aug. 2026
  • So far, only one conviction has come out of the sweeping fraud investigation of Loretto’s former executives.
    — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of fraud
Noun
  • But investigators now say his story was a sham and that behind closed doors, the assistant fire chief was allegedly living a double life.
    — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The set also comes with two matching pillow shams to tie everything together.
    — Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of sham
Noun
  • The transfer portal can transform a contender into a pretender in a single offseason.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The schedule is forgivable, even by ACC standards, but a rematch on the road against Notre Dame will separate the Canes as contenders or pretenders.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of pretender
Noun
  • Their actions, goals, and promises mimic that of a charlatan.
    — Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Ours is not a society that loathes charlatans; look who’s running things.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of charlatan
Noun
  • As part of the investigation, the Canadian Conservation Institute agreed to inspect four potential fakes, which arrived on its doorstep in 2021.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The second-round pass rusher made aggressive mistakes, falling twice for option fakes and overrunning a screen pass early.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of fake
Noun
  • The actors are perfectly cast, starting with Marmaï’s likable Antoine, the only player here not being the deceiver.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 12 May 2026
  • The film tells the true and twisted tale of a deceiver of land and folk, who, defying her birth as a woman, comported herself as a man and committed many a wicked deed.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 20 Jan. 2026
Definition of deceiver
Noun
  • DeSantis, his quack surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, and Uthmeier are all faces of that paranoia.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
  • But when a patient recognizes him from his dangerous past, Brown has eight hours to elude the government, mob hitmen, quack surgeons, and a trail of dead gangers to beat the reaper somehow.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025
Definition of quack
Noun
  • Few imposters have been quite as easy to spot as Terran Empire Spock, however, whose trademark goatee is something of a giveaway.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • This is fairly confusing, since Izzy and Zach tie with four points apiece and Oscar gets two points – which doesn’t reflect either the imposter voting that round or the voting throughout the game.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of impostor

Browse Nearby Words

mountaintops
mountebank
mountebankery
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Cite this Entry

“Mountebank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mountebank. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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