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 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
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of dodger
Noun
  • But the legitimacy of these elections is already being questioned, with the JAAC calling them a sham.
    — Hasan Ali, Christian Science Monitor, 26 July 2026
  • Thoughtful details like precision stitching and rounded corners help keep the lightweight fill evenly in place, while the matching shams feature discrete overlap closures with charming scalloped trim.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 July 2026
Definition of sham
Noun
  • In the end, my cheat-code pie crust worked just fine and all was well.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 July 2026
  • Both trail Messi by two goals in the Golden Boot race, and perhaps the fact that Tuchel has two cheat codes as opposed to one gives him the upper hand.
    — Mark Hodge, NBC news, 15 July 2026
Definition of cheat
Noun
  • The employee framed by a fake inherits the job of proving a negative.
    — Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • Authorities label the video fake and deny any deal or cooperation with the cartels.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
Definition of fake
Noun
  • Deaths by toothpick average three per year, slightly less than annual shark attack fatalities.
    — Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2026
  • In 1986, a fiberglass sculpture of a shark plunging headfirst into the roof of an ordinary-looking row house in the English town of Headington appeared as if out of nowhere.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
Definition of shark
Noun
  • 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
  • At least one of them will in the coming weeks likely be exposed as a pretender.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2026
Definition of pretender
Noun
  • Both laid into the Walz administration for the fraud scandals.
    — Esme Murphy, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • One fraud ring tracked by Socure executed 38,241 transactions across 465 organizations in 30 industries within a single 90-day window.
    — Ray Fernandez, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of fraud
Noun
  • In place of San Francisco’s decaying arts bohemia of poseurs and charlatans, they can be said to be creating an alternate bohemia.
    — Michael Bernick, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Others estimate that $500 billion in federal spending is diverted by charlatans each year.
    — Las Vegas Review-Journal, Twin Cities, 7 June 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 2 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fakir

Nglish: Translation of fakir for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fakir

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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