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
  • Made from buttery-soft organic cotton sateen with a subtle sheen, the set includes a duvet cover and two matching shams.
    — Jacorey Moon, Architectural Digest, 7 Nov. 2026
  • This duvet also comes with two shams featuring an envelope closure to keep pillows secure.
    — Brittany VanDerBill, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of sham
Noun
  • The Chiefs had a short-yardage cheat code last season in Kareem Hunt.
    — Sam McDowell November 3, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Nostalgia often feels like a cheat code to our hearts, but there's nothing wrong with that.
    — Ian Stokes, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheat
Noun
  • At least being listed on Temu is a warning in and of itself; nobody can argue that these fakes are being passed off as the real thing.
    — Stephen Edelstein, The Drive, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The promotional materials are keen to point out that this is more than a cheap fake, no mere actor or illusion but, in some important way, Dalí.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of fake
Noun
  • Then, the shark made a sharp U-Turn and splashed the surfer with its tail before swimming away.
    — Stephanie Zappelli, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2026
  • However, officials emphasized that shark involvement has not been definitively confirmed.
    — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of shark
Noun
  • Next Generation premiered in September 1987, two months after Stewart’s 47th birthday, and initially struggled to catch on with Star Trek fans, many of whom considered the new cast to be pretenders to the throne.
    — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The transfer portal can transform a contender into a pretender in a single offseason.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of pretender
Noun
  • Surveys show that both Democrats and Republicans believe that sizable proportions of the other side favor wrongful imprisonment, tax fraud, embezzlement, adultery, animal abuse, and child pornography.
    — Paul Bloom, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026
  • None of these behaviors automatically indicates fraud or higher risk.
    — Artem Lalaiants, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of fraud
Noun
  • Despite the claims of any number of charlatans who prey on the American brand of cuddly benighted ignorance, the universe will not manifest an alternate reality for anyone who simply wishes for it with sufficient longing.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • You and many others have been taken in by a lowlife charlatan.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 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 9 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fakir

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fakir

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