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
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Recent Examples of shyster
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
Lukens, almost alone, kept the faith, arguing that the bust had simply exposed honest dealers from shysters.
—The Economist, 18 Dec. 2019
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
Lukens, almost alone, kept the faith, arguing that the bust had simply exposed honest dealers from shysters.
—The Economist, 18 Dec. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shyster
Noun
-
Rosemond's lawyer, Scott Rubenstein, said his client's trip to Georgia had been preplanned and was not an attempt to avoid law enforcement.—
Cameron Knight,
The Enquirer,
15 Aug. 2025
-
The judge in that case granted the lawyers' emergency request due to the timing of the matter.—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
At the hearing on Aug. 6, attorney Andrew Joel Golden, who represents the victim in the Milwaukee case, said the woman objected to the trial postponement.—
Ashley Luthern,
jsonline.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Escrow Escrow is a neutral third party—often a title company or attorney—that holds funds and documents until all closing conditions are met.—
James Nelson,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shyster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shyster. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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