as in Ponzi scheme
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Recent Examples of pyramid scheme
These scammers lured their targets with various offers, from cryptocurrency investments to pyramid schemes, and operated mainly out of Southeast Asia.
—
PC Magazine, 6 Aug. 2025
Scams that often exploit financial literacy gaps and market scams, such as pyramid schemes, gifting circles or unregulated crypto programs, as opportunities for fast-track wealth.
—Alejandra Rojas, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
After regulators investigated the business for allegedly being a pyramid scheme, Raniere didn't admit wrongdoing but settled for $40,000.
—Jessica Sager, People.com, 19 June 2025
By the way, the first rule in my pyramid scheme would be to not create a manual.
—Dwyer Murphy
june 6, Literary Hub, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pyramid scheme
PC Magazine, 6 Aug. 2025
Scams that often exploit financial literacy gaps and market scams, such as pyramid schemes, gifting circles or unregulated crypto programs, as opportunities for fast-track wealth.
—Alejandra Rojas, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
After regulators investigated the business for allegedly being a pyramid scheme, Raniere didn't admit wrongdoing but settled for $40,000.
—Jessica Sager, People.com, 19 June 2025
By the way, the first rule in my pyramid scheme would be to not create a manual.
—Dwyer Murphy
june 6, Literary Hub, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pyramid scheme
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pyramid scheme
Noun
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McPhee instead used incoming money to make the 3% payouts to prior investors, a form of fraud called a Ponzi scheme.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
28 Dec. 2025
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All of this fueled fresh attacks from Saylor’s critics who say Strategy’s unusual business model, which revolves around selling stock to buy Bitcoin, is unsustainable or even a Ponzi scheme.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The grand jury’s focus was the shell game played with $10 million that rightfully belonged to the Florida Medicaid program.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2026
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Expedia played a shell game with your money, wasted your time with useless chatbots and ignored paper trails.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pyramid scheme.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pyramid%20scheme. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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