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
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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
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of flimflam
The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Aug. 2022
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
Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for flimflam
Noun
There are no extra fillers, no gimmicks, and no flimflam.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Aug. 2022
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
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
-
Jean’s mama saw through the ruse but misread it.—
David Wright Faladé,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Posing as a door-to-door accountant looking for clients just before noon Thursday, Suresh knocked on several doors to cover up his ruse before arriving at the victim’s house, according to police.—
Kyle Martin,
Mercury News,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Even if the message looks polished, a small mismatch can reveal a scam.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Sep. 2025
-
However, crypto ATMs can be prone to scams.—
Alex Perry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Job interviews are getting complicated in the age of AI, as ways to cheat the process proliferate.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
26 Sep. 2025
-
But in the premiere, his relentless enthusiasm and chipper choice to cheat won me over.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Genians, which uncovered the fake ID scheme, said this latest case underscores just how much generative AI has changed the game.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Sep. 2025
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The crackdown is part of a broader scheme.—
Lizz Winstead,
Time,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
And the next pretext might not be crime; it might be supposed voter fraud, a phenomenon that is statistically almost non-existent.—
Elizabeth Goitein,
Time,
27 Sep. 2025
-
But Giuliani accused the company again of contributing to voter fraud not long after on his radio show.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Don’t hustle for what’s already yours.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
21 Sep. 2025
-
Agents grabbed one man who appeared to be charging up the driveway, pinned him to the ground and hustled him behind the gate with his hands behind his back.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Boston Herald,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The iPhone Air also doesn't have any kind of tricks up its sleeve to try to recreate the results from the ultra-wide lens in either the iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
23 Sep. 2025
-
That may come in handy for planning the best trick-or-treating routes in your area.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
These pretty pink jellyfish are carnivorous and have stinging tentacles that can reach up to 70 feet long.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Congressional Democrats feel stung by the mass layoffs and program cuts that followed the last stopgap spending deal in March.—
Ronald J. Hansen,
AZCentral.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flimflam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flimflam. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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