as in fraud
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
the medical impostors on the information superhighway are no more scrupulous than earlier quacksalvers who traveled along the streets of towns and villages
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quacksalver
Noun
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The leader of the Ex-Slave Pension Association was later imprisoned on mail fraud charges, and the organization faded away, while the Eagles became one of the pressure groups that eventually led to Social Security.—
Trevor Jackson,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026 -
At first, the attention became so intense that Bravo was removed from the televisions inside the minimum-security camp, where Shah was serving her sentence for her role in a nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For a low-cost but luxe addition, consider this lightweight sham.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Apr. 2026
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The siblings — along with other members of Maduro’s inner circle — were added to the Treasury’s list in September 2018, months after Maduro won reelection in a contest widely considered a sham because opposition politicians and parties were banned from participating.—
Regina Garcia Cano,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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McEnelly played defense the rest of the way, mixing in fakes where needed to keep Welsh at bay.—
Twin Cities,
Twin Cities,
22 Mar. 2026
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People may just give up on trying to sort the real from the fake.—
Nick Dothée,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But when a patient recognizes him from his dangerous past, Brown has eight hours to elude the government, mob hitmen, quack surgeons, and a trail of dead gangers to beat the reaper somehow.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
18 Dec. 2025
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But let’s circle back to TV‘s patron saint of affable, oft–insidious quacks.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The alliance successfully supported Maria Cristiana, who was acting as regent for Isabella II in Spain and had allied herself with the liberals against the pretender Don Carlos in the First Carlist War (1833–39).—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
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These two pretenders reflect an insider debate whose subject is not the existence of the Islamic Republic but the best method of its survival.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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You’ll be served your second drink (of four in total) in an evocative atmosphere filled with colonial-style architecture, actors dressed as 19th-century factory workers, and a mariachi band.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
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His attorney accused the child actors’ parents of seeking financial gain and erroneously blaming Busfield when the boys weren’t brought back for the final season of the show.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The 2025 major league impostors did not win a series until June.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
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In the end, Zac – who pretended to be rich – and Sharma – who pretended to be his mentor – were both imposters.—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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Islamic eschatology warned of a deceiver who distorts perception, blurring reality.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Quacksalver.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quacksalver. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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