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
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
-
Barriers lifted in advance, Mellor and his French Resistance passengers hurtled through at 80mph leaving guards little chance of spotting the night-time ruse.—
Iain Macauley,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
-
The ruse, Smith suggested in her memoir, was employed successfully on at least one occasion.—
Laurie Gwen Shapiro,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Noun
-
Thousands of Americans fall prey to medical identity theft scams each year, according to Security.org, with a large number of victims belonging to older age groups.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
-
The move would block laws on the books in more than 20 states, including those covering AI scams, election misinformation and explicit deepfake images of children.—
Jay O'Brien,
ABC News,
30 June 2025
Verb
-
Unlike the previous Final Destination Bloodlines films, however, death not only comes for the specific individuals who cheated death, but for generations of relatives in the survivors’ bloodlines.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
-
Call to police started over cheating feud According to the criminal complaints: The woman began fighting the day before the shooting because of Jones' infidelity.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
3 July 2025
Noun
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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
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That they are aimed at reducing abuse, waste and fraud.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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The charges arose from what law enforcement officials described as a nationwide operation that also resulted in the seizure of financial accounts, websites and laptops that were used to carry out the fraud.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
There are few travel moments more deflating than racing through security, grabbing overpriced snacks, and hustling to your gate—only to find your flight has been canceled and the line to speak with an agent is already snaking around the concourse.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
30 June 2025
-
Before becoming a sports agent, the Cleveland-native hustled to make ends meet.—
Ashton Jackson,
CNBC,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
Did any of those tips and tricks come in handy here?—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
5 July 2025
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Truth is, finding universal tips and tricks for keeping your cortisol levels stable first thing in the morning and when leaving the house is tough.—
Ana Morales,
Vogue,
5 July 2025
Verb
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The moment was emotional, personal, but despite the celebration, one thing stung him.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
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In the meantime, the pain of the Elio process still stings for the creatives who saw the movie’s trajectory become something of a cautionary tale.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flimflam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flimflam. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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