as in lawyer
chiefly US, informal
a person who is dishonest especially in politics or in the practice of law
—often used before another noun
a shyster lawyer
Related 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 shyster
The bubble-ists think that the Coreweave people are hopeless dreamers at best and shysters at worst.
—
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2025
To demonstrate that point in a video, a researcher told a robot arm to put a bunch of plastic grapes into a clear Tupperware container, then proceeded to shift three containers around on the table in an approximation of a shyster’s shell game.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 12 Mar. 2025
Holmes is another shyster whose story has been dissected in several documentaries and in dramatizations like Hulu’s The Dropout, but Gibney brings specific insights and a fresh perspective to this truly unbelievable story.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 31 July 2024
And there’s a character on there who is—plays kind of a shyster attorney.
—Nick Sibilla, Forbes, 11 Nov. 2022
How Bob Odenkirk became the great American shyster in the riveting show, Better Call Saul.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 1 May 2022
Marty the nebbish, Ike the shyster, Phyllis the shrew.
—Judy Berman, Time, 8 Nov. 2021
In the 1930s, it was purchased by Norman Baker, a shyster who lured cancer patients to come here for treatments that had no medicinal value.
—Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2020
Small business owners trying to stay afloat as the economy reels from the impact of the coronavirus can add another worry to the list: shysters pretending to be affiliated with the federal government's flagship relief program.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2020
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2025
To demonstrate that point in a video, a researcher told a robot arm to put a bunch of plastic grapes into a clear Tupperware container, then proceeded to shift three containers around on the table in an approximation of a shyster’s shell game.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 12 Mar. 2025
Holmes is another shyster whose story has been dissected in several documentaries and in dramatizations like Hulu’s The Dropout, but Gibney brings specific insights and a fresh perspective to this truly unbelievable story.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 31 July 2024
And there’s a character on there who is—plays kind of a shyster attorney.
—Nick Sibilla, Forbes, 11 Nov. 2022
How Bob Odenkirk became the great American shyster in the riveting show, Better Call Saul.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 1 May 2022
Marty the nebbish, Ike the shyster, Phyllis the shrew.
—Judy Berman, Time, 8 Nov. 2021
In the 1930s, it was purchased by Norman Baker, a shyster who lured cancer patients to come here for treatments that had no medicinal value.
—Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2020
Small business owners trying to stay afloat as the economy reels from the impact of the coronavirus can add another worry to the list: shysters pretending to be affiliated with the federal government's flagship relief program.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shyster
Noun
-
Art Hartinger is the lawyer who has been representing the county.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Jesús Eduardo Arias, a lawyer representing the Ramos-Solano family, said that an independent investigation into Ramos’ death will be underway to determine his cause of death.—
Ryanne Mena,
Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Part of what contributes to the slim odds is the fact that Morris is seeking to move the process forward using Christian arbitration, while Gateway wants to use a standard legal approach, Morris’ attorney Bill Mateja told the Star-Telegram last July.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Even attorneys who specialize in wills, trusts, estate planning and probate may have no experience dealing with Chapter 415 of the Florida Statutes.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For nearly three years now, I’ve been fascinated by the performance art of this blustering pettifogger.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2023
Cite this Entry
“Shyster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shyster. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
