1
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
giving the new guy at work her cell phone number—"in case of an emergency"—was just a flimflam to pique his romantic interest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in scam
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
just the latest Internet flimflam to get e-mail recipients to reveal bank account numbers and other personal information
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
everyone likes to think that they're too smart to be flimflammed by anyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 flimflam
Osita Nwanevu, The New Republic, 5 Feb. 2021
Might that statement actually be a bit of protective flimflam?
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2020
Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for flimflam
Noun
Instead, Democrats should present voters with a material choice between a party that has nothing to offer the majority of Americans but abuse and conspiratorial flimflam and a party committed to building a democracy and an economy that work for all.
—Osita Nwanevu, The New Republic, 5 Feb. 2021
Might that statement actually be a bit of protective flimflam?
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2020
Verb
But liars like Kari Lake, who lost a bid for Arizona governor by parroting former President Trump’s falsehoods and hopes now to flimflam her way to a Senate seat, are only the most visible threat to our system of democracy.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for flimflam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flimflam
Noun
-
The scammers could also use your account to scam others out of money with the same verification ruse for passengers and drivers.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
-
The elaborate ruse was likely an effort to steal cryptocurrency, which Lazarus has become known for.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
But the incident is the latest high-profile example of how easy—and alarmingly convincing—AI voice scams have become.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
10 July 2025
-
Less than halfway through 2025, eight similar scams have cost victims more than $256,000.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
Business Technology News #5 – Here are 10 ways to use Grok 4 that feel like cheating: AI resources platform God of Prompt listed 10 creative ways to use Grok 4 – xAI’s large language model – on its X feed.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
-
What People Are Saying Byron's wife, Megan Kerrigan Byron, removed her last name from her Facebook account and later deleted it following the cheating allegations, Page Six reported.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 July 2025
Noun
-
Two sources told Reuters he was suspected of being involved in a scheme to embezzle millions of dollars earmarked for border defenses.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
11 July 2025
-
In the film, Superman comes under suspicion by the public and the government over his Kryptonian heritage thanks to a scheme by tech billionaire Luthor to push Superman out of the way of his grand plans to expand his criminal enterprise worldwide.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
In a plea deal, Johnson pled guilty to one count of broker-dealer registration violation, a Class C felony, in exchange for the 14 securities fraud counts being dismissed.—
Shelley Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
-
One exception is if the government was able to prove that citizenship was obtained through fraud in the case of naturalization.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
Grobstein, then working for WLS-AM, hustled back to the press box.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
11 July 2025
-
The veteran major-leaguer — who has spent the majority of his career as a catcher — showed athleticism in the first inning, hustling to get an out at first base after starting pitcher Kris Bubic took a comebacker off his shin.—
Maddie Hartley
July 10,
Kansas City Star,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
The universe is playing tricks on you this week, Scorpio, especially in relation to career matters, your public persona or situations involving authority.—
Kyle Thomas,
People.com,
13 July 2025
-
Kawasaki has stayed true to its past with stand-up models such as the SX-R 160, and upcoming SX-X 160, which allow riders to do tricks or carve tight turns on these small, powerful craft.—
Michael Verdon,
Robb Report,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
The bees became aggressive and stung the man multiple times.—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
9 July 2025
-
Opting for a two-piece swimsuit in favor of a one-piece could also reduce your chances of getting stung.—
Evan Moore
July 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flimflam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flimflam. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share