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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Such offenders will use all different ruses to distract the victim, such as claiming to be utility workers, tree trimmers, or handymen working on neighbors' houses.
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They are accused of using several ruses to force their way into people’s homes, assaulting unsuspecting residents and holding them hostage for their own money, and demanding access to their crypto accounts.
Noun
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As cybercriminals use increasingly sophisticated tactics and AI makes phishing attempts, impersonation scams and other attacks harder to spot, organizations can’t rely on annual compliance training alone.
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Always compare multiple firms before making a decision because tax relief scams do exist.
Verb
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Any forward who cheats for defence, as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has for much of his career, will play an elevated role on a Babcock team.
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Though Lesnar rarely cheats to win, Femi isn’t going to lose clean.
Noun
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Twelve hundred conceptual categories showed up in just 490 papers and nowhere in the formal schemes, clustered in environmental drivers and ecological processes.
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New York officials say the unit is a national leader that targets complex, high-impact corporate schemes, and Attorney General Letitia James vows legal action, calling the cutoff an outrageous political attack.
Noun
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Their only inheritance is a legacy of two-bit crime that inspires them to run increasingly audacious frauds.
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Lan, 69, built a sprawling real estate empire of luxury homes and commercial properties before she was accused of one of the biggest frauds in global history.
Verb
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One of our favorite budget models on the market right now is HP's OmniBook X Flip, which squeezes every bit of performance out of its components to deliver capable everyday productivity performance in a good-looking package.
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That suits floating-rate lenders, who earn more when rates stay up, and squeezes any borrower trying to refinance into those rates.
Noun
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But none of that has happened, and Hamas rejected a new disarmament proposal in March that would force it to give up its tunnel network as well as rockets, heavy munitions, explosive devices and assault rifles before any Israel withdrawal.
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This one from Amazon is only $36 and can keep your devices charged for up to one week on a single charge.
Verb
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Considering Dylan Holloway was that pick, and the Oilers haven’t found much in any round of all the drafts since, the irony stings for fans of the team.
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If feedback stings, breathe, then ask one clarifying question so everyone understands your intent.
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Cite this Entry
“Flimflams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flimflams. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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