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.
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But my collection intentionally ignored the fraudulent exploits of billionaire heirs, tax dodgers and corporate magnates — defense contracts, government lobbying, bank accounts in Switzerland, shell companies in Panama, citizenship of Antigua and political asylum in London.
Noun
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Both the duvet cover and shams have a sateen finish, and an ultra-soft, lived-in feel.
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Kristjánsson pointed out that the whole thing was kind of a sham.
Noun
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And then Bobby is just a cheat code for comedy writers.
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More flaglantry detrimental to learning, plenty more use the tech to generate entire essays and solve math problems — or, in a word, cheat.
Noun
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And what happens to someone who’s been outed like that, as a fake?
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The Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services has warned that people can easily obtain fakes; in 2010, Puerto Rico invalidated all its existing birth certificates, citing rampant fraud and identity theft.
Noun
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That night, Valencia, the vessel’s captain, set out with a crew of nine from Jaramijó, Ecuador, for what was expected to be a typical three-week voyage, casting lines for shark, marlin, and tuna.
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The group stage would be a series of blowouts, the sharks would devour the minnows.
Noun
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To add to the challenge, Brady also left his mark on the latest pretender to his crown.
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Dogs can tell the difference between an actual alpha and a pretender.
Noun
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Kidan pleaded guilty in 2005 to fraud and conspiracy related to the purchase of a fleet of gambling boats, and in 2006 he was sentenced to nearly six years in prison.
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Google also said the devices were used for ad fraud and other digital crimes.
Noun
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Others estimate that $500 billion in federal spending is diverted by charlatans each year.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Fakir.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fakir. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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