SCAM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does scam mean? 

• SCAM (noun)
  The noun SCAM has 1 sense:

1. a fraudulent business scheme

  Familiarity information: SCAM used as a noun is very rare.

• SCAM (verb)
  The verb SCAM has 1 sense:

1. deprive of by deceit

  Familiarity information: SCAM used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SCAM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A fraudulent business scheme

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

cozenage; scam

Hypernyms ("scam" is a kind of...):

cheat; rig; swindle (the act of swindling by some fraudulent scheme)

Derivation:

scam (deprive of by deceit)

• SCAM (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they scam    ... he / she / it scams   
Past simple: scammed   
Past participle: scammed   
-ing form: scamming   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Deprive of by deceit

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

bunco; con; defraud; diddle; goldbrick; hornswoggle; mulct; nobble; rook; scam; short-change; swindle; victimize

Context example:

She defrauded the customers who trusted her

Hypernyms (to "scam" is one way to...):

cheat; chisel; rip off (deprive somebody of something by deceit)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "scam"):

short; short-change (cheat someone by not returning him enough money)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP

Derivation:

scam (a fraudulent business scheme)

scammer (a person who swindles you by means of deception or fraud)

 Context examples 

Keep in mind - if it sounds too good to be true, it's probably a scam.

(Health Fraud, Food and Drug Administration)

Don’t fall for spoofing scams—people who call your cell phone number and hide behind a false name that comes up on your screen.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

At best, these scams don't work. At worst, they're dangerous.

(Health Fraud, Food and Drug Administration)

Also called: Health scams, Quackery

(Health Fraud, Food and Drug Administration)