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fakir

noun

Definition of fakirnext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fakir And there were posters tearing apart his otherworldly self-projection as a fakir, or ascetic, depicting him in his monogrammed suits, designer sunglasses, and aircraft. — Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fakir
  1. dodger
  2. sham
  3. cheat
  4. fake
  5. shark
  6. pretender
  7. fraud
  8. charlatan
Noun
  • The White House is now cracking down on these tariff dodgers.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of dodger
Noun
  • The five-piece set includes a plush comforter, throw blanket, shams, and a decorative pillow for calming cohesion, and comes in rich neutrals like creamy beige, midnight blue, and toasty brown.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Aug. 2026
  • But investigators now say his story was a sham and that behind closed doors, the assistant fire chief was allegedly living a double life.
    — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of sham
Noun
  • On Saturday, Bristol City fans sang a song that referred to Southampton as cheats in the opening seconds of their Championship game.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Last year’s wasn’t smooth out of the gates but found a way to become a red-zone cheat code as Adams led the league with 14 receiving touchdowns and Stafford won his first MVP.
    — Nate Atkins, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of cheat
Noun
  • Cousins wasn’t mobile enough to execute play fakes in 2024, and Penix wasn’t comfortable turning his back to do the defense.
    — Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Many of these fakes do not meet American manufacturing and product safety standards, per the CPSC.
    — Parents, Parents, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of fake
Noun
  • There are groups for lifters, ravers, soccer players, mahjong aficionados, pool sharks, and the neurodivergent.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
  • When life gives your town sharks, make shark-spotting profitable.
    — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of shark
Noun
  • The transfer portal can transform a contender into a pretender in a single offseason.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The schedule is forgivable, even by ACC standards, but a rematch on the road against Notre Dame will separate the Canes as contenders or pretenders.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of pretender
Noun
  • Investigators found that those allegations only scratched the surface of the amount of fraud that was believed to have occurred.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Critics also questioned whether the bill provided sufficient safeguards against fraud, money laundering and market manipulation.
    — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of fraud
Noun
  • You and many others have been taken in by a lowlife charlatan.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Their actions, goals, and promises mimic that of a charlatan.
    — Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of charlatan

Browse Nearby Words

faking out
fakir
fakirs
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Cite this Entry

“Fakir.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fakir. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fakir

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fakir

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