Thesaurus results for SHELL GAME

shell game

noun

as in scam

an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value it's amazing how intelligent people fall for that investment-fund shell game

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of shell game This is a shell game — follow the ball as the three cups rotate. —

Alexander Ooms, Denver Post, 27 May 2025 Trump lawyers are 'throwing spaghetti against the wall' or are playing a 'shell game' to see what legal strategies work to defend his policies in court battles, experts say. —

Bart Jansen, USA Today, 18 May 2025 The law is getting in the way of this shell game—for now. —

Karen Tumlin, Time, 6 May 2025 Similarly, the drawdown of the United States’ war in Afghanistan means that the United States has less reason to ignore Pakistan’s nuclear proliferation and shell games with the Haqqani network and other terrorist groups. —

Andrew L. Peek, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2016 See All Example Sentences for shell game

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shell game

scam

Noun

Names, email addresses, birth dates and purchase history can be used to create highly convincing scams.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Sad stories are unfortunately often scam stories, so be wary of them.

— Barbara White, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2026