1
as in scams
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
thousands of people lost money when the investment scheme turned out to be a fraud
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in fakes
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
the "blind" panhandler was just a fraud trying to con holiday shoppers out of their money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of frauds
Satire is brilliant for exposing the folly of humans, especially those in power and those working in bad faith—the hypocrites and the frauds—and can be particularly potent when set in irrational or dystopic times.
—
Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Notice how these two Third World frauds are in federal custody, not state.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
In the knee-jerk world of modern football, yesterday’s world-beaters are tomorrow’s frauds.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
This fan-favorite promotion returns after nearly 10 years away, having been shelved following the exposure of one of the biggest frauds in corporate marketing history.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025
Certain frauds included requests to share bank details or to pay upfront costs associated with onboarding, such as certification or background check fees.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Attackers also use email to launch ransomware attacks, deliver malware and pursue frauds such as spoof executive requests.
—David Prosser, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Leaving aside outright frauds, pay-for-play exists on a spectrum of cost and legitimacy.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2025
And never give up the kind of personal information that is beyond the scope of a simple quote for a service, scammers look to use this to perpetuate other frauds and attacks.
—Davey Winder, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Notice how these two Third World frauds are in federal custody, not state.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
In the knee-jerk world of modern football, yesterday’s world-beaters are tomorrow’s frauds.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
This fan-favorite promotion returns after nearly 10 years away, having been shelved following the exposure of one of the biggest frauds in corporate marketing history.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025
Certain frauds included requests to share bank details or to pay upfront costs associated with onboarding, such as certification or background check fees.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Attackers also use email to launch ransomware attacks, deliver malware and pursue frauds such as spoof executive requests.
—David Prosser, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Leaving aside outright frauds, pay-for-play exists on a spectrum of cost and legitimacy.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2025
And never give up the kind of personal information that is beyond the scope of a simple quote for a service, scammers look to use this to perpetuate other frauds and attacks.
—Davey Winder, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frauds
Noun
-
Trailer Park Boys is a faux documentary about three petty criminals running scams from their Halifax trailer park and streams on Netflix.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Online scams thrive when people stay silent, but sharing stories like Joe's helps others stay alert.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Industry experts said the rise in fakes is a natural by-product of money and attention flooding into the space.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
9 Nov. 2025
-
That became a clear problem for an identification credential that is expected to be universal in a world where fakes are commonplace.—
Elliot Mann,
Twin Cities,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The quilt is lightweight, airy, and features a raw edge on both the quilt and shams (sold separately).—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The diamond pattern is reversible, and the set comes with two matching shams.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Week 10 kicked off the month with several examples of contenders and pretenders revealing themselves.—
Erick Smith,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Week 9 of the college football season separated some contenders from pretenders.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
To tell the truly venomous from the fakers, there are a couple details to help distinguish the two.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Compass’ Shane Boyle is one of the dozens of real estate brokers who these imposters are pretending to be.—
Emily Lorsch,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
-
McKelway, who wrote for the magazine from the nineteen-thirties to the sixties, specialized in true-crime stories, bringing to life a gallery of scamps and swindlers and impostors.—
David Grann,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
As experts departed, quacks arrived.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Medallion’s Derek Lo figures that his software can cut through the system’s redundancies, slashing the time and cost of paperwork designed to prevent quacks from practicing medicine and safeguard patients that’s spiraled into something burdensome.—
Amy Feldman,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frauds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frauds. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share