con job

noun

, Informal.

1. an act or instance of duping or swindling.
2. an act or instance of lying or talking glibly to convince others or get one's way.

Word History and Origins

Origin of con job¹

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Trump is building on the same con job and, with his various interviews with masculinity influencers, tapping the same audience.

From Salon

The con job was, he thinks, “no more than a practical joke, really. Good clean sport.”

From New York Times

Trump’s mutterings during the proceedings — “it is a witch hunt” and “it really is a con job” — came while the jury was in the courtroom.

From Seattle Times

In a Jan. 27 campaign visit to Las Vegas, Trump urged supporters to skip the primary entirely, describing it as a “con job” and a “meaningless event.”

From Salon

If they had any doubts about Trump, they could simply look over at the defense table—his loudly whispered asides that it was a con job when the evidence was so clearly to the contrary; his grimaces; the frequent reprimands he and his counsel drew from the judge; and, perhaps worst of all, Trump walking out of court in the middle of Carroll lawyer Robbie Kaplan’s closing arguments.

From Slate