as in fraud
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
the famed faith healer turned out to be a charlatan
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of charlatan
Caricatured by Honoré Daumier and his lesser followers always as a mountebank, a charlatan, a circus clown, Louis Napoleon could normalize the extent of his outrages by the seeming harmlessness of his absurdities.
—
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
Pauly plays the impulsive charlatan with an irrepressible charm.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 25 May 2025
The gloomiest of the adverse reactions is that charlatans will insidiously attempt to convince others that AGI is indeed supernatural.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Where to watch Saw: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)
03 of 10
Saw X (2023)
John Kramer ventures to Mexico for an experimental cancer treatment administered by money-hungry charlatans in this slick but not particularly inventive revival sequel, which takes place between the events of Saw and Saw II.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for charlatan
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
Pauly plays the impulsive charlatan with an irrepressible charm.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 25 May 2025
The gloomiest of the adverse reactions is that charlatans will insidiously attempt to convince others that AGI is indeed supernatural.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Where to watch Saw: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)
03 of 10
Saw X (2023)
John Kramer ventures to Mexico for an experimental cancer treatment administered by money-hungry charlatans in this slick but not particularly inventive revival sequel, which takes place between the events of Saw and Saw II.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for charlatan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for charlatan
Noun
-
New York Attorney General Letitia James asked a federal judge Friday to dismiss a mortgage fraud case against her, calling it a vindictive and politically motivated prosecution brought at the behest of a president who regards her as an enemy.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Quick action can sometimes limit further loss or help investigators trace the fraud.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In return, the WNBA would argue the decertification is a sham to facilitate antitrust litigation.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
31 Oct. 2025
-
For a bedding refresh, this duvet cover set is available in 26 colors and includes matching shams.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Why fakes — and how to spot them An information vacuum seems to have encouraged imposters.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Over the next three days, authorities say Buzzard appeared to swap wigs, trading fake, honey blonde curls for a darker wig closer to the style Melodee was seen in.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The King of Poland and the pretender to the throne of Sweden.—
Katie Wiseman,
IndyStar,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Week 10 kicked off the month with several examples of contenders and pretenders revealing themselves.—
Erick Smith,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
As experts departed, quacks arrived.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
9 Sep. 2025
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Medallion’s Derek Lo figures that his software can cut through the system’s redundancies, slashing the time and cost of paperwork designed to prevent quacks from practicing medicine and safeguard patients that’s spiraled into something burdensome.—
Amy Feldman,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Islamic eschatology warned of a deceiver who distorts perception, blurring reality.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Caricatured by Honoré Daumier and his lesser followers always as a mountebank, a charlatan, a circus clown, Louis Napoleon could normalize the extent of his outrages by the seeming harmlessness of his absurdities.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 June 2025
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With tariffs on pharmaceuticals, the mountebank of Mar-A-Lago wants to punish a small democracy of 5.3 million people that for the past 60 years has worked its way into the top table of drug research and production: Ireland.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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To tell the truly venomous from the fakers, there are a couple details to help distinguish the two.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Charlatan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/charlatan. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
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