thimblerig 1 of 2

verb

Definition of thimblerignext
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats had the feeling that I had just been thimblerigged by the sweetest-looking old lady

Synonyms & Similar Words

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thimblerig

2 of 2

noun

as in three-card monte

Related Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for thimblerig
  1. cheat
  2. three-card monte
  3. squeeze
  4. pyramid scheme
  5. pluck
  6. Ponzi scheme
  7. hustle
  8. racket
Verb
  • For example, if a model figures out a way to cheat to win a game, but the human running the training doesn’t spot the cheating, then the model will learn to cheat.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The move, orchestrated by Everett to satisfy the demands of the company’s top-dollar backers, cheats Michael out of his stock options and equity in the company.
    — Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheat
Noun
  • That subplot also introduces the metaphor of three-card monte that runs throughout the episode.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
  • The Moore administration has chosen the opposite approach, doubling down on spending while shuffling money around in a game of three-card monte.
    — J.B. Jennings, Baltimore Sun, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of three-card monte
Verb
  • Meta squeezes two independent light-guiding cores into a single standard glass strand to double its bandwidth.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Fuel expenses are squeezing daily household budgets and tightening cash flow toward the end of the month, with reports indicating a growing number of French employees are requesting payroll advances to manage month end expenses.
    — , CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Noun
  • Among them was the founder of a major pyramid scheme that defrauded thousands of Colombians of their savings, as well as Alex Saab, a Colombian businessman with close ties to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was later extradited to the United States on money-laundering charges.
    — John Otis, NPR, 21 June 2026
  • Attention online—which is to say, the modern entertainment industry at large—can look a bit like a pyramid scheme, with each lower layer trying to siphon a segment of audience away from the more famous one above.
    — Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 22 Apr. 2026
Definition of pyramid scheme
Verb
  • As the party winded down, guests plucked final bites off silver platters and marveled at how tall Skarsgård truly is in person—his nearly six-foot-five frame barely fit under the bar’s low ceilings.
    — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Starring alongside Amell is a slew of objectively hot influencers and models plucked straight off the TikTok FYP, including Noah Beck, Olivia Dunne, and Brooks Nader.
    — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of pluck
Noun
  • The result is a kind of Ponzi scheme that bottoms out in nothing.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
  • That’s not to say that AI is a fad, a fraud, or a Ponzi scheme.
    — byDoug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of Ponzi scheme
Verb
  • The last thing the Bears need is for Williams to hustle back only to reinjure himself and miss more time.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • That urgency has marked Holden’s prolific output—especially the thrilling first installment of his Supreme Magnetic series in 2025 and 2022’s Joe Frog—as the Harlem rapper uses his street-hustling past to paint an autobiographical portrait.
    — Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of hustle
Noun
  • Mitt reminds me of these famous sports dads — Earl Woods, Richard Williams, Marv Marinovich — who put a golf club or tennis racket or football in their kids’ cribs.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
  • With 30 audio sensors listening for racket strikes and ball bounces, and four cameras tracking play, the machine stands at one end of the net, offering interactive drills and real-time feedback, and recording and analyzing matches.
    — Matthew Huff, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of racket
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

thigh-slappers
thimblerig
thimblerigged
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Cite this Entry

“Thimblerig.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thimblerig. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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