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
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Contested election Earlier this year, Myanmar completed its third and final round of voting in a general election, a process which has been widely called a sham by international observers.—
Lorcan Lovett,
NPR,
3 May 2026
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Use the matching shams with the same color as the quilt facing out for a cohesive design, or mix and match the shams and quilt for a layered look with dimension.—
Caley Sturgill,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Multi-functional furniture is the small-space cheat code When every square foot counts, every piece should earn its keep — ideally by doing two jobs at once.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
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That’s basically the cheat code to any travel wardrobe.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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As news of the fakes reverberated around the art world, experts described the scheme as a classic of the genre — one that is far more prevalent than some in the industry would like to admit.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Apr. 2026
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If a fingerprint or iris database is breached, a thief still needs to physically present that finger or eye, or a fake of it, to a scanner.—
Jonathan S. Weissman,
The Conversation,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While the director’s last studio hit, 1999’s Deep Blue Sea, shares shark DNA, the new thriller’s roots are deeply embedded in 1970s disaster movies, not least the truly dreadful Airport ’77.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
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Guest shark Rashaun Williams strapped on his court shoes, wiped them on their mini mat and stomped onto their court.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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The alliance successfully supported Maria Cristiana, who was acting as regent for Isabella II in Spain and had allied herself with the liberals against the pretender Don Carlos in the First Carlist War (1833–39).—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Cerner is not aware of identity theft or fraud related to Atrium Health patient data.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
8 May 2026
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The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office on Thursday charged Brian Ramos, 25, of Edina, the owner of a roofing subcontractor known as Liminis Remodeling and Exteriors with two felony counts of worker’s compensation insurance premium fraud.—
Kristi Miller,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Then give the land back, you pompous charlatans.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
2 May 2026
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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 9 May. 2026.
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