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Synonyms

scam

American  
[skam] / skæm /

noun

  1. a confidence game or other fraudulent scheme, especially for making a quick profit; swindle.

verb (used with object)

scammed, scamming

  1. to cheat or defraud with a scam.

scam British  
/ skæm /

noun

  1. a stratagem for gain; a swindle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to swindle (someone) by means of a trick

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does scam mean? A scam is a deceptive scheme or trick used to cheat someone out of something, especially money.Scam is also a verb meaning to cheat someone in such a way.Example: Banks will never call you asking for your credit card number or social security number over the phone. If someone calls and asks for information like that, it’s a scam.

Other Word Forms

  • scammer noun

Etymology

Origin of scam

1960–65; originally carnival argot; of obscure origin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.