1
as in ruse
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
giving the new guy at work her cell phone number—"in case of an emergency"—was just a flimflam to pique his romantic interest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in scam
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
just the latest Internet flimflam to get e-mail recipients to reveal bank account numbers and other personal information
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
everyone likes to think that they're too smart to be flimflammed by anyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 flimflam
Osita Nwanevu, The New Republic, 5 Feb. 2021
Might that statement actually be a bit of protective flimflam?
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2020
Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for flimflam
Noun
Instead, Democrats should present voters with a material choice between a party that has nothing to offer the majority of Americans but abuse and conspiratorial flimflam and a party committed to building a democracy and an economy that work for all.
—Osita Nwanevu, The New Republic, 5 Feb. 2021
Might that statement actually be a bit of protective flimflam?
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2020
Verb
But liars like Kari Lake, who lost a bid for Arizona governor by parroting former President Trump’s falsehoods and hopes now to flimflam her way to a Senate seat, are only the most visible threat to our system of democracy.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for flimflam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flimflam
Noun
-
No, because the medic — work requirements are a ruse.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
13 July 2025
-
Ben Affleck's Argo is a real film about the ruse of making a fake film to help rescue real-life hostages in Iran.—
EW Staff Published,
EW.com,
4 July 2025
Noun
-
Monroe now hopes that sharing her family's story will keep others from falling victim to this and other similar scams.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
20 July 2025
-
The latest Amazon scam, which has just surged 5000% in a fortnight, is the latest of these.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
Business Technology News #5 – Here are 10 ways to use Grok 4 that feel like cheating: AI resources platform God of Prompt listed 10 creative ways to use Grok 4 – xAI’s large language model – on its X feed.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
-
What People Are Saying Byron's wife, Megan Kerrigan Byron, removed her last name from her Facebook account and later deleted it following the cheating allegations, Page Six reported.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 July 2025
Noun
-
Singer took in more than $25 million from his clients as part of the scheme, paid bribes totaling more than $7 million and used more than $15 million for his own benefit, according to prosecutors.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
24 July 2025
-
The scheme requires drivers to pay a fee—based on the time and duration of their visit and their vehicle type—to enter the lower part of Manhattan, from the southern end of Central Park to the city’s financial district.—
Carlton Reid,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
In a plea deal, Johnson pled guilty to one count of broker-dealer registration violation, a Class C felony, in exchange for the 14 securities fraud counts being dismissed.—
Shelley Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
-
One exception is if the government was able to prove that citizenship was obtained through fraud in the case of naturalization.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
After studying music at Stanford, Scher hustled the biggest gig of all: working for the greatest booker in town himself, Bill Graham.—
David Kushner,
Rolling Stone,
20 July 2025
-
The game came easy for her and, then just rebounding-wise, Jess just hustled.—
Mike Cook,
Twin Cities,
16 July 2025
Noun
-
The universe is playing tricks on you this week, Scorpio, especially in relation to career matters, your public persona or situations involving authority.—
Kyle Thomas,
People.com,
13 July 2025
-
Watch the creative process first-hand and learn the tricks of the trade that bring DC’s characters to life.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
The bees became aggressive and stung the man multiple times.—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
9 July 2025
-
Those walking through Aurillac, a quaint French community, were stung over a 30-minute period, with three people in critical condition evacuated to a hospital.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flimflam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flimflam. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share