buncos

noun

variants or bunkos
plural of bunco
as in scams
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value they were experts at that bunco, having fleeced wide-eyed tourists for years

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for buncos
  1. scams
  2. shell games
Noun
  • Unlike phishing scams or malware-laden emails that cast wide nets and hope to lure in random victims, zero-click attacks are highly targeted.
    — Justyn Newman, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Steve Harvey is now chief advocate officer at Turnout, a $400 million AI startup helping Americans claim government benefits — two years after AI deepfake scams used his cloned voice to push a fake $6,400 government check to millions.
    — Victor Dey, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of scams
Noun
  • Fortunately, the authors of the study point out several things states can and should do to prevent these kinds of financial shell games.
    — Peter Ubel, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Budget shell games, in other words.
    — The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
Definition of shell games
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

bunco
buncos
bundle
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Cite this Entry

“Buncos.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buncos. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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