Standard Lemma guide

flimflam

noun · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈflɪmflæm/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: F L IH1 M F L AE2 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Alternative form of flim-flam.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative, countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To swindle or cheat.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a person to buy worthless property

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bunco, bunco game, bunko, bunko game, con, confidence trick, confidence game, con game, gyp, hustle, sting

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: swindle, cheat, rig

Narrower terms: sting operation

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: bedrog — Translations
  • Dutch: zwendel — Translations
  • Dutch: afzetterij — Translations
  • Polish: szwindel — Translations
  • Polish: przekręt — Translations
  • Dutch: bedriegen — Translations
  • Polish: bachnąć — Translations
  • Polish: kantować — Translations
  • Polish: okantować — Translations