as in Ponzi scheme
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Recent Examples of pyramid scheme
The North Texas couple behind a multimillion-dollar pyramid scheme who targeted the African-American community has been found guilty by a federal jury in Sherman.
—
Brian Womack, Dallas Morning News, 9 Jan. 2026
Chinese authorities have accused the group of being a pyramid scheme and a cult.
—Didi Kirsten Tatlow, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
The Tuesday release highlighted an incident with Cambodian users urging people to enlist in a rent-a-scooter pyramid scheme with an initial text message generated by ChatGPT.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 6 Aug. 2025
The cure for loneliness pitched by a guru (Don Cheadle, unrecognizable in prosthetics) turns out to be a pyramid scheme.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for pyramid scheme
Brian Womack, Dallas Morning News, 9 Jan. 2026
Chinese authorities have accused the group of being a pyramid scheme and a cult.
—Didi Kirsten Tatlow, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
The Tuesday release highlighted an incident with Cambodian users urging people to enlist in a rent-a-scooter pyramid scheme with an initial text message generated by ChatGPT.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 6 Aug. 2025
The cure for loneliness pitched by a guru (Don Cheadle, unrecognizable in prosthetics) turns out to be a pyramid scheme.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for pyramid scheme
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pyramid scheme
Noun
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The entire economy of AI is being propped up by a Ponzi scheme.—
John Ross,
Vanity Fair,
24 Mar. 2026
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Three class-action lawsuits, including one against banking giant JPMorgan Chase, have been filed in connection with the massive cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme prosecutors say Christopher Delgado ran from his Orlando headquarters.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This is more than just a shell game.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2026
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The transfer shell game The problems compound when ICE transfers detainees without notice, a practice attorneys said is a kind of shell game designed to frustrate legal challenges.—
Ben Fenwick,
Oklahoma Watch,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pyramid scheme.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pyramid%20scheme. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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