Definitions

con job

NOUN

con game

Synonyms

WEAK

Ponzi bait and switch boiler room bunco game bunko con confidence trick flimflam hustle racket ripoff shell game skin game sting swindle

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Ponzi bounced between con job and jail, dying broke.

From Barron's • Mar. 1, 2026

Don’t miss: ‘Affordability is a con job for consumers’: 2025 was one hell of a year.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 14, 2026

The con job was, he thinks, “no more than a practical joke, really. Good clean sport.”

From New York Times • Apr. 8, 2024

“I think that was a con job, sales job, but I’m trying anything,” Auriemma said.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 30, 2023

Asking for help was a simple con job, but he hadn’t liked the idea of pleading guilty.

From "Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelsen