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

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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

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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
  • In addition, 59% reported an impact on their mental well-being, and more than half experienced repeat scams.
    — Angela Ramos, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026
  • That included conversations about things like cyberbullying, online scams, Instagram filters, and privacy issues.
    — Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of scams
Verb
  • 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
  • Though Lesnar rarely cheats to win, Femi isn’t going to lose clean.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Definition of cheats
Noun
  • Meanwhile, frontier labs are pushing forward with their own self-regulatory schemes, which will ask them to agree on testing standards in a highly competitive environment.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The schemes often use fictitious romantic relationships to persuade victims to transfer money to an investment opportunity recommended by the fraudsters.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of schemes
Noun
  • These frauds hate Sweeney because of some MAGA hat at a party like four years ago.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • In 2018, Modi was accused by Indian authorities of orchestrating one of the country’s largest bank frauds in modern history.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of frauds
Verb
  • The jobs market has been resilient even as stubbornly high inflation squeezes businesses and households.
    — Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Glen Arbor to Traverse City On the Leelanau Peninsula, M-22 squeezes onto a narrow isthmus between Lake Michigan and Lake Leelanau, landing in the resort community of Leland.
    — Mike Norton, Midwest Living, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of squeezes
Noun
  • These devices, and more than a dozen others, are included in the latest update of STAT’s Breakthrough Device Tracker, which since 2022 has captured nearly 800 devices reported to have FDA breakthrough status.
    — Katie Palmer, STAT, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The Chinese list of US products that will be subject to lower tariffs covers 1,619 items, including corn, wheat, frozen meat, seafood, wood products, cosmetics and medical devices, according to a list published by the White House.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of devices
Verb
  • The pain of losing Hollywood actor Heath Ledger nearly 20 years ago still stings for his on-screen Dark Knight family.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026
  • There is a feeling of humiliation that stings long after an event has passed.
    — Wilbert L. Cooper, Longreads, 25 Aug. 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 2 Oct. 2026.

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