thimblerig 1 of 2

verb

Definition of thimblerignext
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats had the feeling that I had just been thimblerigged by the sweetest-looking old lady

Synonyms & Similar Words

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thimblerig

2 of 2

noun

as in three-card monte

Related Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for thimblerig
  1. cheat
  2. three-card monte
  3. squeeze
  4. pyramid scheme
  5. pluck
  6. Ponzi scheme
  7. hustle
  8. racket
Verb
  • In taking that gamble, the authors cheated fans and missed an opportunity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
  • How successful the gerrymandering actually was remains to be seen — Republicans are polling poorly in the Lone Star State, perhaps in part because of their blatant attempt to cheat voters out of their voices.
    — The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheat
Noun
  • That subplot also introduces the metaphor of three-card monte that runs throughout the episode.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
  • The Moore administration has chosen the opposite approach, doubling down on spending while shuffling money around in a game of three-card monte.
    — J.B. Jennings, Baltimore Sun, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of three-card monte
Verb
  • But in recent years, the shows have become money losers and the network TV business — faced with a decline in viewers that is squeezing profits — are cutting them loose.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • However, rising costs for housing, food, fuel and insurance coupled with cooling employment rends and the lowest consumer sentiment in a decade is squeezing discretionary spending.
    — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Noun
  • Among them was the founder of a major pyramid scheme that defrauded thousands of Colombians of their savings, as well as Alex Saab, a Colombian businessman with close ties to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was later extradited to the United States on money-laundering charges.
    — John Otis, NPR, 21 June 2026
  • Attention online—which is to say, the modern entertainment industry at large—can look a bit like a pyramid scheme, with each lower layer trying to siphon a segment of audience away from the more famous one above.
    — Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 22 Apr. 2026
Definition of pyramid scheme
Verb
  • As the party winded down, guests plucked final bites off silver platters and marveled at how tall Skarsgård truly is in person—his nearly six-foot-five frame barely fit under the bar’s low ceilings.
    — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Starring alongside Amell is a slew of objectively hot influencers and models plucked straight off the TikTok FYP, including Noah Beck, Olivia Dunne, and Brooks Nader.
    — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of pluck
Noun
  • The result is a kind of Ponzi scheme that bottoms out in nothing.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
  • That’s not to say that AI is a fad, a fraud, or a Ponzi scheme.
    — byDoug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of Ponzi scheme
Verb
  • After hustling in the industry for the better part of a decade, her profile has completely exploded over the past few months.
    — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
  • But the bad news was he got thrown out trying to hustle into second.
    — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of hustle
Noun
  • Their rackets—plunder, opium trafficking, and much else—were often run not by members of established yakuza gangs but by fixers and political operators who exploited their connections with the Imperial Japanese Army.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The racket clanged off the metal bar and didn’t injure any fans, but the crowd audibly gasped at Atmane’s petulance, as the racket didn’t miss them by much.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of racket
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.

Browse Nearby Words

thigh-slappers
thimblerig
thimblerigged
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Cite this Entry

“Thimblerig.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thimblerig. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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