bamboozle
Pull one over
Bamboozle means to trick or deceive, often through elaborate confusion or misdirection.
The word suggests a con rather than a simple lie—someone bamboozled has been led astray by cleverness: The salesman bamboozled her into buying the extended warranty.
It carries a slightly playful tone, more suited to swindles than serious betrayals.
Dishonest money-making scheme
hustle · shortchange · defraud · gyp · sting · flimflam · ripoff · gouge
Cause utter confusion
- perplexCause utter confusion
- flummoxTo thoroughly confuse
- baffleConfuse or perplex
- mystifyConfuse beyond understanding
puzzle · confound · discombobulate · befuddle · stump · muddle · disorient · nonplus
Deception through clever manipulation
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
- ruseDeliberate act of deception
- ployCalculated deceptive tactic
- artificeClever deceptive strategy
guile · sleight · hoax · dupery · shenanigans · tomfoolery · skulduggery · hocus-pocus
scam
Dishonest money-making scheme
rook · hustle · shortchange · defraud · gyp · sting · flimflam · ripoff · gouge · mulct
hoodwink
Trick into false belief
fool · con · defraud · swindle · gull · cozen · beguile · delude · snooker · string along
bewilder
Cause utter confusion
mystify · puzzle · confound · discombobulate · befuddle · stump · muddle · disorient · nonplus · dumbfound
chicanery
Deception through clever manipulation
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
- ruseDeliberate act of deception
- ployCalculated deceptive tactic
artifice · guile · sleight · hoax · dupery · shenanigans · tomfoolery · skulduggery · hocus-pocus · jiggery-pokery
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- American slangbogus, bunkum, conniption, discombobulate, doozy
- cunningcunning, craftiness, crafty, guile, slyness
- trickerytrick, deceive, mislead, hoax, ruse
- Whimsy Wordsgobbledygook, gibberish, mumbo jumbo, hogwash, balderdash
- fraudscam, fraud, swindle, con, deceive
bamboozled, bamboozling, bamboozlement, bamboozles, bamboozler, bamboozlers