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
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
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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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
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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.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The set comes with matching pillow shams in every size for a simple bedroom refresh at a budget-friendly price.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
13 Feb. 2026
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Sarah Sherman Samuel transforms high-quality hemp bedding with a tiger illustration—drawn by her son, no less—to make a set of shams perfect for elevating your bedding set with custom-like details.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Productivity is the cheat code for a more prosperous society.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
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An oversized Oxford shirt is a rich-looking cheat code for the ages.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The overwhelming motive for the early fakes was to provide entertainment — about three-quarters of the images in the exhibition were created for this purpose, Rooseboom said.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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Drake had taken a risk, executed the perfect fake.—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The shark maintained that depth because that was the warmest layer of several water layers stacked upon each other to the surface, Jamieson said.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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In Jaws, the ocean’s crash, the buoy’s bell and John Williams’ score signal danger as clearly as the shark itself all while keeping dialogue clean and intelligible amid environmental chaos.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Schlossberg spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2024 as JFK’s grandson, the implicit message of his speech being that Kennedy followers ought to listen to Democrats, as true heirs to Camelot, rather than the pretender, RFK Jr.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
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The Cult of the Beaver has to fend off pretenders.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Officials allege Redzepagic — who recently lived in Florida — was involved in a fraud scheme between May 2021 and March 2025.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
13 Feb. 2026
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French police have detained nine people in relation to a ticketing fraud scheme that may have cost the Louvre €10 million ($12 million).—
News Desk,
Artforum,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Carl Sagan's baloney detection kit taught us how to separate good science from the work of charlatans.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Feb. 2026
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First up was Ben Shapiro, who described Tucker Carlson and others as grifters and charlatans, guilty of misleading their audiences with falsehoods and conspiracy theories.—
Jonathan J. Cooper,
Fortune,
19 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fakir.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fakir. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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