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
Trying to keep the population safe from a novel infectious disease, battling to understand the virus, but also navigating people's suspicion of vaccines and science, and their desire to use bleach and ivermectin, egged on by charlatans.
—
David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
For them, the Nazarene is not a charlatan, but an upright man, one who has courage, who speaks well and says the right things, like other great prophets in the history of Israel.
—Daniel Burke, NPR, 9 May 2025
It was bought for $40,000 in 1937 by medical charlatan Norman Baker.
—Jack Schnedler, Arkansas Online, 5 May 2025
Death at the hands of charlatans is not an inspiring storyline, which means publishers and film studios studiously avoid it.
—Alan Levinovitz, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for charlatan
David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
For them, the Nazarene is not a charlatan, but an upright man, one who has courage, who speaks well and says the right things, like other great prophets in the history of Israel.
—Daniel Burke, NPR, 9 May 2025
It was bought for $40,000 in 1937 by medical charlatan Norman Baker.
—Jack Schnedler, Arkansas Online, 5 May 2025
Death at the hands of charlatans is not an inspiring storyline, which means publishers and film studios studiously avoid it.
—Alan Levinovitz, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for charlatan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for charlatan
Noun
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That they are aimed at reducing abuse, waste and fraud.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Last month, Kubler was indicted by the Justice Department on charges of securities fraud and money laundering.—
Sydney Sasser,
Charlotte Observer,
1 July 2025
Noun
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All sets come with two matching pillow shams to complete your bedroom look.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 July 2025
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The basics that all comforter sets include are the comforter and one pillow sham, with some sets including an extra sham.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
24 June 2025
Noun
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In a market flooded with uniformity, a culture hellbent on sameness, and a luxury space increasingly shaped by dupes, secondhand finds, and super fakes, working with an artist can be a refreshing alternative, making the object feel less like a purchase and more like an heirloom.—
Brett Braley,
Robb Report,
18 June 2025
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And not just shooting the shot, but using it to create space for my teammates or using a shot fake to create a different shot for myself or a drive to kick.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
28 June 2025
Noun
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Stars welcome these challenges while pretenders struggle with reality.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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What used to be a very niche field with only a small handful of offerings has become a cottage industry full of contenders and pretenders, and any number of startups offering a readymade conversion for your bike.—
Michael Venutolo-Mantovani,
Wired News,
20 June 2025
Noun
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Tell that to the kids who have been hospitalized and died from measles, following quack Dr. Bobby’s Rx to avoid the shots.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
29 May 2025
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The Spare Room by Helen Garner This is a book about a woman, Helen, who decides to let her old friend, Nicola, who is dying of cancer, come and stay with her in Melbourne while Nicola sees a local quack doctor.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
21 May 2025
Noun
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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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In May 2024, the Justice Department alleged that more than 300 U.S. companies had unknowingly hired impostors tied to North Korea for remote IT roles, resulting in at least $6.8 million in overseas revenue.—
Anuz Thapa,Hugh Son,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
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Twelve minutes later, Vance’s account was flagged as a possible impostor and taken down.—
Morgan Kromer,
The Washington Examiner,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Charlatan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/charlatan. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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