as in fraud
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
the famed faith healer turned out to be a charlatan
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Recent Examples of charlatan
Malcolm McDowell is a sneering charlatan, Scout Taylor-Compton is a one-note screaming victim, and Tyler Mane offers nothing new.
—
Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
Professional historians denounced Fomenko as a charlatan, but his countless fans remained undeterred.
—Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2025
Famously, the Wizard is a charlatan in every version of the text.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2025
No matter the party affiliation, there’ll be charlatans claiming to care, while smooth-talking their way into the homes of hard-working people who struggle.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for charlatan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for charlatan
Noun
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The president and his allies accused Cook of mortgage fraud.—
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At the same briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt came out swinging at Minnesota Democrats in defense of the ICE agent while touting the Medicaid fraud investigation, which dates back to the Biden administration.—
Noun
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Floral bedding is an easy way to optimize maximalism in your bedroom—the block print style of this duvet cover and shams create a welcoming, bohemian vibe, making things feel both bright and relaxed in your space.—
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His 2018 reelection was widely considered a sham because the main opposition parties were banned from participating.—
Noun
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Today, the same fakes can be flagged using AI developed by a company called N2N Services, said Claudia Lee, Golden West College’s vice president of student services.—
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With the score 3-0 at the time, and both teams struggling to protect their quarterbacks, the fake looked like a potential pivot point in a low-scoring game.—
Noun
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The Pahlavi pretender himself certainly thinks so.—
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Momentum hardens, vulnerabilities are exposed and the gap between contenders and pretenders is out in the open.—
Noun
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But let’s circle back to TV‘s patron saint of affable, oft–insidious quacks.—
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Automatic ducking doesn't add quacks to your soundtrack.—
Noun
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Islamic eschatology warned of a deceiver who distorts perception, blurring reality.—
Noun
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Good afternoon and welcome to Con Con, the convention for swindlers, mountebanks, and the people who love them.—
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Godard might have come across as a species of poseur – a pretentious, quote-spouting mountebank – but his way of seeing was genuinely new.—
Noun
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To tell the truly venomous from the fakers, there are a couple details to help distinguish the two.—
Cite this Entry
“Charlatan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/charlatan. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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