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Definitions

scam

[skam] / skæm /
NOUN
swindle
Synonyms
STRONGEST
blackmail deceit deception extortion fraud hoax racket ripoff shakedown sham
STRONG
cheating con double-dealing flimflam hosing hustle sting
WEAK
con game crooked deal dirty pool double cross fast one shady deal shell game snow job sucker game

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.

Many of the scam compounds now lie empty.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

EU prosecutors first detailed the scam last May, accusing subsidy beneficiaries of making claims for land that they did not own and exaggerating the number of animals on farms.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Authorities have pledged to close all online scam centres by the end of April, but analysts have said the government's crackdown on the industry is unlikely to stamp it out.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Fake cops, fake judges: The Hollywood-style scam poised to go global.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Your aunt Chana lent me another two hundred dollars; I burned it all on a scam bartending school.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.