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
  • These sheets and shams are made from Oexo-Tex Certified Organic microfiber material that’s light but surprisingly resilient.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Plus, the set comes with two shams to complete your sanctuary.
    — Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of sham
Noun
  • Nvidia brings a lot of gaming clout to the table, and game companies are already signing up to offer native anti-cheat and in-game support on Arm as a result.
    — Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Democrats passed significant funding for the IRS to go after wealthy tax cheats, which was repealed by Republicans.
    — WCCO Staff, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheat
Noun
  • Many of these goods, which were purchased on online platforms, were fakes that contained dangerous levels of phthalates, lead, formaldehyde, nickel and other substances.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • To combat this, Antinori has been marking its bottles against fakes for years.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of fake
Noun
  • But there are ways to reduce risk if a shark approaches, scientists advise on the project website.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Under Paris France, 2024 A female scientist battles a killer shark who turns up in the Seine.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 9 Oct. 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
  • That changed after the 2020 presidential election, when secretaries of state in places such as Arizona, Georgia and Michigan were thrust into battles over election results, certification and false claims of widespread fraud.
    — Thom Reilly, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
  • As Vanity Fair reported at the time, the article led to an all-hands meeting at The Times where some staffers questioned the choice to run a soft profile on a woman who had been convicted of fraud and was about to head to prison.
    — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 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 18 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fakir

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fakir

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