as in frauds
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
the famed faith healer turned out to be a charlatan
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of charlatans
Then give the land back, you pompous charlatans.
—
Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
The 21st century’s obstacles for young men—as seen in deaths of despair and lagging employment—have been amply publicized both by credible journalists and by charlatans such as Fuentes.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Carl Sagan's baloney detection kit taught us how to separate good science from the work of charlatans.
—Big Think, 10 Feb. 2026
First up was Ben Shapiro, who described Tucker Carlson and others as grifters and charlatans, guilty of misleading their audiences with falsehoods and conspiracy theories.
—Jonathan J. Cooper, Fortune, 19 Dec. 2025
Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
The 21st century’s obstacles for young men—as seen in deaths of despair and lagging employment—have been amply publicized both by credible journalists and by charlatans such as Fuentes.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Carl Sagan's baloney detection kit taught us how to separate good science from the work of charlatans.
—Big Think, 10 Feb. 2026
First up was Ben Shapiro, who described Tucker Carlson and others as grifters and charlatans, guilty of misleading their audiences with falsehoods and conspiracy theories.
—Jonathan J. Cooper, Fortune, 19 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for charlatans
Noun
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The Man Who Stole Portugal is inspired by the titular true crime book by Murray Teigh Bloom about Alves dos Reis, who pulled off one of the largest frauds in history against the Bank of Portugal in 1925.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
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Four artworks recovered from the 1MDB scandal have gone on public view in Malaysia for the first time, offering a modest but pointed reminder of one of the largest financial frauds in modern history.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
6 May 2026
Noun
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Some of the most damaging fakes get through because nobody on the defense side knew to challenge them.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
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Once word got out about the reports in Ohio, so did the obvious fakes.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Now, hardship seems to be an end in itself, a battle scar or badge of honor that distinguishes true backpackers from mere pretenders.—
Tim Brinkhof,
Time,
4 May 2026
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This is where hype turns into hard numbers, and contenders start getting separated from pretenders.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Make sure to add the matching shams to your order to complete the look.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
13 May 2026
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Then snap up this pretty seersucker comforter set that includes two pillow shams and sheets (and comes in 30 colors) for just $37.—
Madeline Merinuk,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
Noun
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But let’s circle back to TV‘s patron saint of affable, oft–insidious quacks.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
16 Dec. 2025
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Automatic ducking doesn't add quacks to your soundtrack.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
15 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Charlatans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/charlatans. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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