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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
  • For the fake Broom image, the Georgia Tech expert noted the people in the background of both photos (the real and the fake) were in the exact same positions, and the image of a football game on a TV is the same.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Green Bay came right back when Love threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Watson on a play-action fake.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of fake
Noun
  • Three spearfishing divers were killed by sharks off the Australian coast in four weeks over May and June.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Deadly shark attacks in 2026 There have been at least five fatal shark attacks in Australia this year.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 18 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
  • Theranos turned out to be a fraud, will be moved from her current minimum-security prison to a halfway house next year to finish out her prison term, officials said.
    — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Additionally, DeSantis announced the creation of a new national group of election officials, with the aim of installing Florida’s legal changes designed to prevent voter fraud and crack down on those who vote illegally.
    — Gray Rohrer, Miami Herald, 25 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 27 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fakir

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fakir

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