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

Relevance
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
  • 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
  • Linen bedding can get costly fast, but this quilt set comes in at under $200—and includes matching shams.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Critics dismissed the polls as a sham designed to consolidate the military’s grip on power while ostensibly restoring civilian rule.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 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
  • These pristine epicenters of biodiversity are teeming with life, from thriving coral reefs to sharks and seabird colonies.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026
  • After sampling was complete, the shark was hauled off the beach and disposed of with the help of heavy equipment supplied by the county, conservancy officials said.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 4 Aug. 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
  • An extraditable arrest warrant was obtained on charges of first-degree identity theft, second-degree money laundering, first-degree larceny, criminal impersonation and second-degree telephone fraud.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But even some of the grants slated to fund more traditional human rights projects skirt federal requirements for competitive bidding that are meant to deter waste, fraud and abuse.
    — Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 7 Aug. 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fakir.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fakir. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on fakir

Nglish: Translation of fakir for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fakir

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All