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
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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
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Recent Examples of flimflam
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
The flimflams continue, even in Walmart’s home state of Arkansas.
—Craig Silverman, ProPublica, 17 Jan. 2024
Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for flimflam
Noun
Marty Supreme is a movie about a charismatic flimflam man, and so its press tour has been full of flim and also flam.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
The flimflams continue, even in Walmart’s home state of Arkansas.
—Craig Silverman, ProPublica, 17 Jan. 2024
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
-
As Paula finally reaches Detective Gonzalez and excitedly chatters about her wire transfer ruse, the wry officer isn’t amused.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
Sunday outsmarted Adam and Hannah with a ruse at Tribal Council.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
The whole story is wild to read, and proof that scams, both online and on your phone, are big business and can make big money.—
Alan Henry,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
-
Scammers can create an AI replica of someone’s voice using a short recording of their speech — often pulled from social media or an earlier scam call that was surreptitiously recorded.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Though Lesnar rarely cheats to win, Femi isn’t going to lose clean.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
Greg de la Garza, Miami The Republican Party of Florida is cheating and getting away with it.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
30 May 2026
Noun
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Rozier was arrested in October along with former NBA player Damon Jones, who pleaded guilty last month for his role in schemes to defraud major sportsbooks including DraftKings and FanDuel.—
Rebecca Boone,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
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The storage scheme is no slouch, either.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Americans for Prosperity sponsored a striking display in the DECC’s Pioneer Hall, demonstrating the scale of the state’s fraud losses with faux $100 bills stacked in volumes that would total $2 billion.—
Jay Gabler,
Twin Cities,
30 May 2026
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The authors then matched high-fraud ZIP codes to areas with fast-appreciating home prices.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Verb
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When Ava returns to hustle their luggage onto the train, her companion remains lost in thought.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 May 2026
-
In a sense, bees went from wild foragers to shift workers, clocking in for bloom season as beekeepers hustled them from farm to farm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
And are there any tips and tricks for planning and executing the perfect anti-aging trip?—
Alessandra Signorelli,
Vogue,
29 May 2026
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Since Hathaway's viral video, people have posted themselves doing her trick, sometimes to shocking results.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
The loss stung, but Stankiewicz and his players have no choice but to focus on the journey ahead.—
Joaquin Ruiz,
Los Angeles Times,
25 May 2026
-
Wirtz went out for a meal with Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez last weekend, some 24 hours after the Egyptian had caused a stir with his stinging critique of the team’s performances on social media.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flimflam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flimflam. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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