mountebank

noun

ˈmau̇n-ti-ˌbaŋk How to pronounce mountebank (audio)
Definition of mountebanknext
as in fraud
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise claimed that many doctors were frauds and mountebanks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 mountebank Good afternoon and welcome to Con Con, the convention for swindlers, mountebanks, and the people who love them. — Henry Alford, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025 Godard might have come across as a species of poseur – a pretentious, quote-spouting mountebank – but his way of seeing was genuinely new. — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Nov. 2025 Gould observed that Jerry Falwell had taken up the mountebank’s mission of William Jennings Bryan. — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024 Now, this pallid Color Purple epitomizes the artistic dearth of an era when a cultural mountebank like Winfrey uses race and feminist guile to cheat us of America’s most creative achievements. — Armond White, National Review, 3 Jan. 2024 The alternative circumstance, that crackpots and mountebanks might claim such evidence exists, then fail to produce any, is, on the other hand, entirely plausible and familiar. — Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 31 July 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mountebank
  1. fraud
  2. sham
  3. pretender
  4. charlatan
  5. fake
  6. deceiver
  7. quack
  8. impostor
Noun
  • That changed after the 2020 presidential election, when secretaries of state in places such as Arizona, Georgia and Michigan were thrust into battles over election results, certification and false claims of widespread fraud.
    — Thom Reilly, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
  • As Vanity Fair reported at the time, the article led to an all-hands meeting at The Times where some staffers questioned the choice to run a soft profile on a woman who had been convicted of fraud and was about to head to prison.
    — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of fraud
Noun
  • These sheets and shams are made from Oexo-Tex Certified Organic microfiber material that’s light but surprisingly resilient.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Plus, the set comes with two shams to complete your sanctuary.
    — Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of sham
Noun
  • The transfer portal can transform a contender into a pretender in a single offseason.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The schedule is forgivable, even by ACC standards, but a rematch on the road against Notre Dame will separate the Canes as contenders or pretenders.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of pretender
Noun
  • Despite the claims of any number of charlatans who prey on the American brand of cuddly benighted ignorance, the universe will not manifest an alternate reality for anyone who simply wishes for it with sufficient longing.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • You and many others have been taken in by a lowlife charlatan.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of charlatan
Noun
  • Many of these goods, which were purchased on online platforms, were fakes that contained dangerous levels of phthalates, lead, formaldehyde, nickel and other substances.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • To combat this, Antinori has been marking its bottles against fakes for years.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of fake
Noun
  • The actors are perfectly cast, starting with Marmaï’s likable Antoine, the only player here not being the deceiver.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 12 May 2026
  • The film tells the true and twisted tale of a deceiver of land and folk, who, defying her birth as a woman, comported herself as a man and committed many a wicked deed.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 20 Jan. 2026
Definition of deceiver
Noun
  • Our job was to build a story worthy of the Aflac Duck, one with a co-star who could keep up with the iconic quack.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Scientists who disagreed with him, even those from Harvard and Oxford universities, were considered quacks.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of quack
Noun
  • When a connection shows that the keys match, the visiting party knows it’s connected to the authentic site rather than an impostor.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 6 Oct. 2026
  • In this scam, imposters send you an email or text, pretending to be your hotel.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of impostor

Browse Nearby Words

mountaintops
mountebank
mountebankery
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Cite this Entry

“Mountebank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mountebank. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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