1
as in ruses
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 scams
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 cheats
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flimflams
Noun
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They are accused of using several ruses to force their way into people’s homes, assaulting unsuspecting residents and holding them hostage for their own money, and demanding access to their crypto accounts.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026 -
Kids will quickly see through her ruses.—
Elise Broach,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The company can go after fraudulent domains and Telegram accounts in hopes of disrupting the Outsider Enterprise operation, but the scams may simply change form.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
12 June 2026
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For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit trusted by millions who watch CyberGuy on TV daily.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 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
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Five average players committed to protecting the middle of the ice are more effective than four great ones and one who cheats for offence.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
Noun
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According to the police report, a woman also reportedly claimed to be a victim of one of Chen's check-cashing schemes, alleging that she was scammed out of $40,000 after Chen wrote her bad checks from a man's account, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
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Madigan, meanwhile, was convicted in a separate trial of an array of schemes that included the ComEd bribery payments.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
Noun
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Bankman-Fried was convicted of masterminding one of the largest financial frauds in history stemming from the collapse of the crypto-exchange FTX.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
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Uwanawich is accused of helping Evans, who had been previously convicted of similar frauds in Texas and Florida, by managing the bank accounts tied to the scheme, selling gold coins, transferring and spending the proceeds from the frauds, authorities said.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 June 2026
Verb
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View gallery - 10 images Intended for full-time living, the Porto squeezes a lot into its modest footprint.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 June 2026
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Even Zach Cherry squeezes plenty from his part as the dealership’s manager, who grows loudly resentful when Nate seems more emotionally invested in his biological children than coworkers.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
27 May 2026
Noun
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Prinano said its technology supports wafer-level production of photonic chips and can be applied to optical communication and sensing devices based on gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, and silicon photonics.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
11 June 2026
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Spending on mental wellness has accelerated faster than the evidence base, encompassing everything from spa retreats to brain supplements, smartphone apps, and at-home devices.—
Melinda Fulmer,
Robb Report,
11 June 2026
Verb
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This stings even more on the heels of Hyatt’s award chart overhaul, which now has five price tiers instead of three.—
Jason Stauffer,
CNBC,
10 June 2026
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The loss stings even more because Tiafoe is comfortable in these moments.—
Dan Zaksheske,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Flimflams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flimflams. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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