hornswoggling
Deceiving with tricks
Hornswoggling is the act of cheating, deceiving, or getting the better of someone through trickery.
The word is American slang with a folksy, old-timey flavor—more likely heard in Westerns than boardrooms: Those city slickers were hornswoggling the ranchers out of their land.
It suggests swindling with a wink rather than serious fraud.
Deceiving through confusion
- dupingDeliberately misleading another
- hoodwinkingDeliberately misleading someone
- swindlingFraudulent taking of money
- conningDefrauding through deception
fleecing · beguiling · cozening · bilking · defrauding · cheating · tricking · fooling
Deception through clever manipulation
- flimflamDeceptive scheme or nonsense
- shenanigansMischievous or deceitful behavior
- skulduggeryDishonest or unscrupulous behavior
- jiggery-pokeryDeceptive or dishonest behavior
trickery · subterfuge · ruse · ploy · stratagem · gambit · machination · artifice
False talk or pretense
- tommyrotFoolish or worthless talk
- balderdashSenseless talk or writing
- poppycockFoolish or meaningless talk
- codswallopBritish term for nonsense
bunkum · hokum · malarkey · claptrap · flimflammery · hokey-pokey · humbuggery · bunco
Faker claiming false expertise
- mountebankTraveling seller of fake remedies
- swindlerPerson who deceives for money
- con artistProfessional fraud perpetrator
- grifterPetty fraud perpetrator
flimflam man · huckster · impostor · quack · snake oil salesman · trickster · confidence man · hustler
bamboozling
Deceiving through confusion
- dupingDeliberately misleading another
- hoodwinkingDeliberately misleading someone
- swindlingFraudulent taking of money
conning · fleecing · beguiling · cozening · bilking · defrauding · cheating · tricking · fooling · misleading
chicanery
Deception through clever manipulation
- flimflamDeceptive scheme or nonsense
- shenanigansMischievous or deceitful behavior
- skulduggeryDishonest or unscrupulous behavior
jiggery-pokery · trickery · subterfuge · ruse · ploy · stratagem · gambit · machination · artifice · wile
humbug
False talk or pretense
- tommyrotFoolish or worthless talk
- balderdashSenseless talk or writing
- poppycockFoolish or meaningless talk
codswallop · bunkum · hokum · malarkey · claptrap · flimflammery · hokey-pokey · humbuggery · bunco · shell game
charlatan
Faker claiming false expertise
- mountebankTraveling seller of fake remedies
- swindlerPerson who deceives for money
- con artistProfessional fraud perpetrator
grifter · flimflam man · huckster · impostor · quack · snake oil salesman · trickster · confidence man · hustler · shark
hornswogglingbeing honest
Stating facts sincerely
telling the truth · leveling · coming clean · enlightening · informing