frauds

noun

plural of fraud
1
as in scams
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value thousands of people lost money when the investment scheme turned out to be a fraud

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in fakes
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise the "blind" panhandler was just a fraud trying to con holiday shoppers out of their money

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of frauds In 2018, Modi was accused by Indian authorities of orchestrating one of the country’s largest bank frauds in modern history. — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026 In 2024, Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison for orchestrating what prosecutors have called one of the biggest financial frauds in American history. — Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026 Focus Your Defenses Where The Risk Is Highest​ Many of today's biggest frauds begin with an email, an invoice or a payment request that looks completely legitimate. — Mark Beare, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026 Their only inheritance is a legacy of two-bit crime that inspires them to run increasingly audacious frauds. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 15 July 2026 Uwanawich is accused of helping Evans, who had been previously convicted of similar frauds in Texas and Florida, by managing the bank accounts tied to the scheme, selling gold coins, transferring and spending the proceeds from the frauds, authorities said. — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 June 2026 But the use of AI to impersonate Leal marks an evolution in how scammers are harnessing vulnerable immigrants’ anxieties and turning them into lucrative frauds. — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026 The request was audacious, even by the standards of a man accused of one of the largest financial frauds in history. — Jennifer Gould, Air Mail, 30 May 2026 Lindberg, 56, pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiring to defraud insurers and thousands of policy holders in one of the largest insurance frauds in US history, federal prosecutors said in a statement. — David Voreacos, Bloomberg, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frauds
  1. scams
  2. fakes
  3. shams
  4. pretenders
  5. charlatans
  6. fakers
  7. impostors
  8. quacks
Noun
  • Off-grid residents blur the line between housed and homeless, as county officials juggle lax enforcement, environmental damage, real estate scams and calls to legalize basic services such as addresses and trash pickup.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • So how can consumers avoid scams and trust real organizations?
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of scams
Noun
  • The Institute assists some 2,700 museums, libraries, and archival organizations, and, in this case, assisted the Ontario Provincial Police, exposing fakes and ultimately testifying for the prosecution in the trial of one of the fraudsters.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The second-round pass rusher made aggressive mistakes, falling twice for option fakes and overrunning a screen pass early.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of fakes
Noun
  • The set comes with two reversible shams to complete the look, and is durable enough to toss in the washing machine.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Its matching shams have overlapping edges that effortlessly slip over pillows and hold onto them tightly.
    — Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of shams
Noun
  • The schedule is forgivable, even by ACC standards, but a rematch on the road against Notre Dame will separate the Canes as contenders or pretenders.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of pretenders
Noun
  • Ours is not a society that loathes charlatans; look who’s running things.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026
  • In place of San Francisco’s decaying arts bohemia of poseurs and charlatans, they can be said to be creating an alternate bohemia.
    — Michael Bernick, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of charlatans
Noun
  • To tell the truly venomous from the fakers, there are a couple details to help distinguish the two.
    — Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 17 Sep. 2025
Definition of fakers
Noun
  • Few imposters have been quite as easy to spot as Terran Empire Spock, however, whose trademark goatee is something of a giveaway.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Players get points for correctly calling out imposters, or remaining undetected as impostors.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of impostors
Noun
  • Scientists who disagreed with him, even those from Harvard and Oxford universities, were considered quacks.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026
  • But let’s circle back to TV‘s patron saint of affable, oft–insidious quacks.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 Dec. 2025
Definition of quacks

Browse Nearby Words

fraud
frauds
fraudster
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Frauds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frauds. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All