as in fraud
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
that's just a scam to bilk insurance companies for staged accidents
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scam
The Woodland Police Department is warning residents to stay alert after a local resident narrowly avoided losing money in a phone scam that threatened arrest unless cash was paid.
—
Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
Consumers with any questions or who believe they may have been involved in a scam should contact the Office of Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection by visiting the website, emailing scams@attorneygeneral.gov, or by calling the office at 1-800-441-2555.
—Garrett Behanna, CBS News, 9 May 2026
At the same time, the scale of these scams has changed.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 9 May 2026
Given the amount of misinformation on the internet about just about anything, the ability to distinguish accurate information from potentially harmful myths or scams is vital.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scam
Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
Consumers with any questions or who believe they may have been involved in a scam should contact the Office of Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection by visiting the website, emailing scams@attorneygeneral.gov, or by calling the office at 1-800-441-2555.
—Garrett Behanna, CBS News, 9 May 2026
At the same time, the scale of these scams has changed.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 9 May 2026
Given the amount of misinformation on the internet about just about anything, the ability to distinguish accurate information from potentially harmful myths or scams is vital.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scam
Noun
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The appeals court that ordered a trial court to reconsider Peters' sentence said the trial judge's consideration of her belief in the existence of 2020 election fraud went beyond what was relevant to sentencing her.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
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Dana Williamson, former top aide to Newsom, pleaded guilty in an FBI corruption probe to bank fraud, filing a false tax return and lying to the FBI.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Supporting characters add to the plot, as Chance needs help from his former crew, most of whom have gone straight but can’t resist the lure of the swindle.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
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Prosecutors charged Said with racketeering and multiple counts of aiding and abetting theft by swindle in connection with an alleged scheme that defrauded Minnesota’s Medicaid program of nearly $11 million, according to the criminal complaint.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The threat turned out to be a hoax, but the suspicions among staff illustrated how deep the rift had become.—
Geoffrey Cain,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
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Decades of debate have followed on whether the film was a hoax.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
Noun
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What begins as a small con deepens when the painter’s shrewd agent (Gilles Lellouche) spots an opportunity, encouraging Suzanne to continue the deception as a way to revive his client’s creativity — and bankroll them both.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
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There are many cons to dating a succubus.—
Erin La Rosa,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
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Scott said Williamson never spoke directly with Becerra about the scheme.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
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Quantum threats target the mathematical structure of encryption schemes like RSA and ECC; vaulted tokenization removes that target by decoupling data from its representation.—
Ed Leavens,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scam. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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