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

Relevance
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
  • Unlike phishing scams or malware-laden emails that cast wide nets and hope to lure in random victims, zero-click attacks are highly targeted.
    — Justyn Newman, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Steve Harvey is now chief advocate officer at Turnout, a $400 million AI startup helping Americans claim government benefits — two years after AI deepfake scams used his cloned voice to push a fake $6,400 government check to millions.
    — Victor Dey, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 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
  • But Craig's supporters have argued that the four-term congresswoman is the more electable candidate, especially as Flanagan has been tied to the Minnesota governor's handling of the multimillion-dollar fraud schemes in the state.
    — Caroline Linton, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Longtime safety Harrison Smith might not return for 2026, costing the Vikings defense its connective tissue, invaluable in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ chaotic schemes.
    — Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of schemes
Noun
  • 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
  • In 2024, Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison for orchestrating what prosecutors have called one of the biggest financial frauds in American history.
    — Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of frauds
Verb
  • Intended to foster moderation, the top two system has instead functioned as a primary system that repeatedly squeezes Republicans.
    — Dain Fitzgerald, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Apple’s iPhone and Mac sales are on the rise even as a global memory shortage squeezes device makers.
    — Emma Roth, The Verge, 30 July 2026
Definition of squeezes
Noun
  • Kevin Lamarque | Reuters Instead of seeing supercomputers as devices that customers buy and use — the argument goes — these systems, filled with Nvidia's graphics processing units that can cost $3 million per rack, look like profitable investments.
    — Kif Leswing, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Technology has significantly evolved since then, with 80% of 911 calls nationwide coming from wireless mobile devices rather than landlines tied to specific addresses.
    — Sophia Eppley, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of devices
Verb
  • February 19 – March 20 Your words may show where being misunderstood still stings.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026
  • For van Ess, the decision particularly stings because Google Earth has long been regarded as one of the best tools to verify information posted on social media.
    — Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 31 July 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flimflams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flimflams. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vacuous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All