shell game

noun

Definition of shell gamenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 shell game Cyrus, a beloved gay icon, was a smart choice and seemed ready to play along with Kenworthy’s shell game. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 27 Jan. 2026 The grand jury’s focus was the shell game played with $10 million that rightfully belonged to the Florida Medicaid program. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026 Nate Davis had some thoughts after McDermott was fired, writing that the NFL's coaching carousel has devolved into an absurd shell game. — Jim Reineking, USA Today, 23 Jan. 2026 Expedia played a shell game with your money, wasted your time with useless chatbots and ignored paper trails. — Christopher Elliott, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shell game
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shell game
scam
Noun
  • Earlier this year, Meta also launched scam detection for device linking requests on WhatsApp.
    — Stevie Bonifield, The Verge, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In a social media post on Thursday, the Ojai Raptor Center alerted its supporters to potential scams involving merchandise featuring Big Bear's bald eagle, Jackie.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of scam

Browse Nearby Words

shelled out
shell game
shell games
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Shell game.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shell%20game. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on shell game

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shell game

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
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
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All