1
as in dodger
a dishonest person who uses clever means to cheat others out of something of value
a traveling carnival that was run by fakirs preying on small-town rubes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in sham
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
a fakir peddling patent medicines that were mostly liquor and sugar
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fakir
Almost a fakir, a legend like that.
—
Literary Hub, 31 Mar. 2026
Bankman-Fried has refined the persona of a dishevelled, savantlike techno-fakir.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2022
To be fair, the new nationalists have done their best, explicitly and repeatedly, to distance their emerging movement from white nationalists, alt-right fakirs, strident isolationists, and other assorted cranks.
—John Hood, National Review, 28 Aug. 2019
Literary Hub, 31 Mar. 2026
Bankman-Fried has refined the persona of a dishevelled, savantlike techno-fakir.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2022
To be fair, the new nationalists have done their best, explicitly and repeatedly, to distance their emerging movement from white nationalists, alt-right fakirs, strident isolationists, and other assorted cranks.
—John Hood, National Review, 28 Aug. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fakir
Noun
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Ukraine faces severe personnel shortages with around 200,000 military desertions and 2 million draft-dodgers, threatening its ability to sustain the war against Russia’s 2022 invasion.—
Kirsten Grieshaber,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
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Almost all other passengers dine at the Britannia Restaurant, and there’s also a buffet restaurant serving international cuisine, with options for vegans, vegetarians and dairy dodgers.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Make sure to add the matching shams to your order to complete the look.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
13 May 2026
-
The three-piece set includes two 20x26-inch matching pillow shams.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 May 2026
Noun
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Matching sets are my favorite travel cheat code, and this skirt set might be the chicest one in my cart right now.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
6 May 2026
-
Migrant welfare cheats exposed!—
The Hill,
The Hill,
5 May 2026
Noun
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Some of the most damaging fakes get through because nobody on the defense side knew to challenge them.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
-
Once word got out about the reports in Ohio, so did the obvious fakes.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
Noun
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The attack was Australia's first shark fatality since January, when a 12-year-old boy died in a hospital days after he was mauled by a bull shark in Sydney Harbor.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
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Also, beachgoers are urged to report shark sightings to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Now, hardship seems to be an end in itself, a battle scar or badge of honor that distinguishes true backpackers from mere pretenders.—
Tim Brinkhof,
Time,
4 May 2026
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This is where hype turns into hard numbers, and contenders start getting separated from pretenders.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The arrest of a North Miami Beach condominium property manager in early April serves as a reminder for Florida condominium associations of the potential for fraud involving construction and renovation projects.—
Meily Perez,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, Minnesota seems to be the fraud capital these days.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
Then give the land back, you pompous charlatans.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
2 May 2026
-
To this day, a portion of the left-wing Democratic elite views Obama as a charlatan who hoodwinked their voters into supporting him.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fakir.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fakir. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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