1
as in ruses
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 scams
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 cheats
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flimflams
Noun
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Last year, more than 40,000 Chinese people were detained in Myanmar over scams and deported to China.—
Hannah Beech,
New York Times,
31 Dec. 2024 -
In the summer of 2024, New York Attorney General Letitia James warned about investment scams using deepfake videos of celebrities like Warren Buffett and Elon Musk to lure investors.—
Steven Smith,
Forbes,
30 Dec. 2024
Noun
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And never give up the kind of personal information that is beyond the scope of a simple quote for a service, scammers look to use this to perpetuate other frauds and attacks.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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The public harm from frauds dwarfs other forms of measurable consumer harm.—
Alden Abbott,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
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However, instead of removing the minerals from the water, these devices make the minerals soluble in the water.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Mar. 2025
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However, these incidents underscore the importance of regularly updating your devices to stay protected against evolving threats.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Minnesota would finish fifth if Memphis beats Denver and the Clippers beat the Warriors or if Denver beats Memphis and the Warriors beat the Clippers.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
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If Denver beats Memphis and the Clippers beat the Warriors, the Wolves would finish sixth.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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What does ‘no fault or negligence’ actually mean?—
Charlie Eccleshare,
The Athletic,
15 Feb. 2025
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What law enforcement does, the overdose epidemic marches on, with New Yorkers dying preventable deaths out of a combination of social factors, the tainting of the drug supply with potent synthetic opioids like fentanyl, and what has often been a lack of available treatment and support.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Flimflams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flimflams. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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