as in frauds
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
Relevance
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 scams
Trailer Park Boys is a faux documentary about three petty criminals running scams from their Halifax trailer park and streams on Netflix.
—
Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 9 Nov. 2025
Online scams thrive when people stay silent, but sharing stories like Joe's helps others stay alert.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
However, Meta reportedly earns roughly $7 billion in revenue every year from potentially fraudulent ads, which can include ads for crypto scams, counterfeit medical products, and unlicensed casinos, another late-2024 document states.
—PC Magazine, 8 Nov. 2025
The regime that jails children also profits from drugs, human trafficking, and online scams.
—Kim Aris, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
Good for you, and rest in peace, queen of scams!
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
The new season finds the Shazam moving company battling corporate giant Zenithon Logistics, while Everett (Jae) drags the team through increasingly desperate schemes such as insurance scams, bogus grant applications and a basement AirBnb conversion gone wrong.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
Therefore, talking about expectations, boundaries, and spotting scams may not be new topics in many families.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 30 Oct. 2025
The elimination of the theft loss deduction proved to be catastrophic for many taxpayers who lost sizable amounts of money to scams, Wease said.
—Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 9 Nov. 2025
Online scams thrive when people stay silent, but sharing stories like Joe's helps others stay alert.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
However, Meta reportedly earns roughly $7 billion in revenue every year from potentially fraudulent ads, which can include ads for crypto scams, counterfeit medical products, and unlicensed casinos, another late-2024 document states.
—PC Magazine, 8 Nov. 2025
The regime that jails children also profits from drugs, human trafficking, and online scams.
—Kim Aris, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
Good for you, and rest in peace, queen of scams!
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
The new season finds the Shazam moving company battling corporate giant Zenithon Logistics, while Everett (Jae) drags the team through increasingly desperate schemes such as insurance scams, bogus grant applications and a basement AirBnb conversion gone wrong.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
Therefore, talking about expectations, boundaries, and spotting scams may not be new topics in many families.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 30 Oct. 2025
The elimination of the theft loss deduction proved to be catastrophic for many taxpayers who lost sizable amounts of money to scams, Wease said.
—Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scams
Noun
-
Satire is brilliant for exposing the folly of humans, especially those in power and those working in bad faith—the hypocrites and the frauds—and can be particularly potent when set in irrational or dystopic times.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Notice how these two Third World frauds are in federal custody, not state.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But cybersecurity experts believe many are coming from the same criminal organizations in Southeast Asia that have been linked to other high-profile swindles in recent years, like romance scams on dating apps.—
Shannon Pettypiece,
NBC news,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Frauds, swindles, cons, scams, and deceptions — collectively known as hoaxes.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Forgeries, hoaxes, and other types of literary fakery have preoccupied Havens, a rare books and manuscripts curator at the university’s Stern Center for the History of the Book, for many years now.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Frauds, swindles, cons, scams, and deceptions — collectively known as hoaxes.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scams. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share