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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Recent Examples of charlatan
No, the danger is what those charlatans exploit, namely our vulnerability to the narrative of natural healing, the irresistible allure of conquering cancer with a simple, intuitive approach that lies entirely within our power, no chemo or surgery required.
—
Alan Levinovitz, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
There was too much history for anyone to dismantle, let alone a charlatan like Hitler.
—Luke Berryman, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2025
There are many ethical and honest and capable mediums out there, but there are also a lot of charlatans, and this is their hook.
—Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
Worst of all, charlatans and ideologues are being placed in positions of power.
—Big Think, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for charlatan
Alan Levinovitz, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
There was too much history for anyone to dismantle, let alone a charlatan like Hitler.
—Luke Berryman, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2025
There are many ethical and honest and capable mediums out there, but there are also a lot of charlatans, and this is their hook.
—Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
Worst of all, charlatans and ideologues are being placed in positions of power.
—Big Think, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for charlatan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for charlatan
Noun
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The suspect was arrested in Florida in March on robbery and fraud charges, before being extradited to Louisiana, the news agency stated.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
16 May 2025
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UnitedHealth Group is under a Department of Justice criminal probe for possible criminal Medicare fraud related to its Medicare Advantage business, according to the Wall Street Journal.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has been exposed as nothing more than a sham.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 May 2025
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Despite a unilateral three-day ceasefire declared by Russia beginning May 8, Ukraine has rejected it as a sham.—
Katya Soldak,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
Noun
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Maybe the cows were fakes, or sold, moved somewhere or their tags were changed.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 May 2025
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Unfortunately, we were deprived of all those fake idols getting played because players kept leaving the game with fakes in their pockets, socks, and bags.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
15 May 2025
Noun
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Sorting the contenders from pretenders Here’s a quick rundown of where every team stands after the Jets eked out a Game 5 win over the upstart Blues last night in whiteout Winnipeg.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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The speed with which this group develops chemistry and finds that star could determine where the Crimson Tide fall on the spectrum between contender and pretender.—
CJ Moore,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Famous athlete revealed as Fuzzy Peas on Masked Singer while Ken Jeong shocks with Lord Farquaad look on wild Shrek Night With a final dramatic flourish of his cape and a quack, Lucky Duck departed, and it was revealed that Coral would be joining Paparazzo in the final six.—
Lauren Huff,
EW.com,
27 Feb. 2025
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Milla — a young woman who feels disillusioned by doctors that treat her like a recalcitrant child, directing even conversations about her treatment to her father instead of her — finds false security in quacks selling enemas and juice cleanses.—
Angie Han,
The Hollywood Reporter,
5 Feb. 2025
Noun
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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
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Gould observed that Jerry Falwell had taken up the mountebank’s mission of William Jennings Bryan.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
26 July 2024
Noun
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Fortunately, plant enthusiasts quickly chimed in to identify the impostor.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
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Adelaide Tovar, a University of Michigan scientist who researches genes related to diabetes, used to feel like an impostor in a laboratory.—
Brett Kelman,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Charlatan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/charlatan. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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