as in scam
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
it's amazing how intelligent people fall for that investment-fund shell game
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Recent Examples of shell game
To demonstrate that point in a video, a researcher told a robot arm to put a bunch of plastic grapes into a clear Tupperware container, then proceeded to shift three containers around on the table in an approximation of a shyster’s shell game.
—
Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 12 Mar. 2025
Because Florida officials knew the insurance companies were playing this financial shell game years ago.
—Scott Maxwell, Sun Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2025
This is the shell game designed to hide a huge shift in resources to benefit men’s football and basketball.
—Donna Lopiano, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
If Coen fails to deliver in Jacksonville, he will be remembered as the guy who torpedoed his own career while playing a shell game.
—John Romano, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shell game
Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 12 Mar. 2025
Because Florida officials knew the insurance companies were playing this financial shell game years ago.
—Scott Maxwell, Sun Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2025
This is the shell game designed to hide a huge shift in resources to benefit men’s football and basketball.
—Donna Lopiano, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
If Coen fails to deliver in Jacksonville, he will be remembered as the guy who torpedoed his own career while playing a shell game.
—John Romano, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shell game
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shell game
scam
Noun
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Such scams exploit investor enthusiasm and poor regulation to inflate prices before insiders sell off their holdings.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
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The latest round of scam texts have been reported by departments of motor vehicles in at least three states: New York, Florida and California.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shell game.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shell%20game. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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