as in frauds
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 charlatans
The 21st century’s obstacles for young men—as seen in deaths of despair and lagging employment—have been amply publicized both by credible journalists and by charlatans such as Fuentes.
—
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Carl Sagan's baloney detection kit taught us how to separate good science from the work of charlatans.
—Big Think, 10 Feb. 2026
First up was Ben Shapiro, who described Tucker Carlson and others as grifters and charlatans, guilty of misleading their audiences with falsehoods and conspiracy theories.
—Jonathan J. Cooper, Fortune, 19 Dec. 2025
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Carl Sagan's baloney detection kit taught us how to separate good science from the work of charlatans.
—Big Think, 10 Feb. 2026
First up was Ben Shapiro, who described Tucker Carlson and others as grifters and charlatans, guilty of misleading their audiences with falsehoods and conspiracy theories.
—Jonathan J. Cooper, Fortune, 19 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for charlatans
Noun
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The National Association of Mortgage Brokers recommends customers take precautions to avoid potential frauds by calling sources and double-checking any information or requests.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
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There are some elite frauds going on in the sports world right now.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Swift’s likeness has been used without permission in numerous AI fakes, including by Meta’s AI chatbots and in pornographic images that have circulated on the internet.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
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Hackers with your booking data can write convincing fakes that look urgent.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This is where hype turns into hard numbers, and contenders start getting separated from pretenders.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
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These two pretenders reflect an insider debate whose subject is not the existence of the Islamic Republic but the best method of its survival.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Etched with a cheery blue bouquet pattern on a soft yellow background, the comforter and matching shams give any room a spring makeover.—
Tanya Sharma,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
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The set comes with two shams and is reversible with a simple solid white side.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But let’s circle back to TV‘s patron saint of affable, oft–insidious quacks.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
16 Dec. 2025
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Automatic ducking doesn't add quacks to your soundtrack.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
15 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Charlatans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/charlatans. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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