flimflams 1 of 2

noun

plural of flimflam
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

flimflams

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of flimflam
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
  1. ruses
  2. scams
  3. cheats
  4. schemes
  5. frauds
  6. squeezes
  7. devices
  8. stings
Noun
  • There’s a delightful secret history of Hollywood directors whose ruses and stratagems bought them an unusual amount of leeway with their scripts.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Even before pro-party AI ruses were possible, the Chinese government and its supporters flooded social media with pro-China propaganda and vicious attacks on critics.
    — Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Definition of ruses
Noun
  • Consider identity theft protection Health insurance scams can expose some of your most sensitive information, including your Social Security number and financial details.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Impersonation scams are on the rise, with tricks like fake ads that direct you to fake websites and payment sites aimed at stealing your bank information.
    — Meghan Schiller, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of scams
Verb
  • The move, orchestrated by Everett to satisfy the demands of the company’s top-dollar backers, cheats Michael out of his stock options and equity in the company.
    — Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Any forward who cheats for defence, as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has for much of his career, will play an elevated role on a Babcock team.
    — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 26 June 2026
Definition of cheats
Noun
  • Osborne was harried, sacked three times, and was perhaps pressured into some bad throws by Belichick’s schemes.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Instead, Musk moved on to other schemes and startups, some successful, some not.
    — Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of schemes
Noun
  • Only once the Buffs emptied offensive coordinator Brennan Marion’s playbook, there was nothing left to fire at McGuire’s frauds.
    — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 Oct. 2026
  • In my phishing protection test, Avira successfully detected and defeated 100% of real-world phishing frauds.
    — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of frauds
Verb
  • The low-rise waist sits comfortably on my hips and ensures that nothing squeezes my midsection, and the straight leg cut is incredibly flattering.
    — Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Southwest squeezes past Carter-Riverside for the final berth, but both games could go either way.
    — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of squeezes
Noun
  • The highly customizable shapes enable applications ranging from drug delivery systems to energy storage devices.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026
  • That includes implementing basic but effective cybersecurity measures such as making sure devices are up to date, limiting administrator access to systems and backing up important files and data, the NCSC said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of devices
Verb
  • What stings more is how this year played out—and how stubbornly high home prices are.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2026
  • But even though Az does get it back, the betrayal still stings.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of stings
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.

Browse Nearby Words

flimflamming
flimflams
flimsiness
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Cite this Entry

“Flimflams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flimflams. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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