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bunco game

bunco game

1 9.9
A trick that cheats people out of their money, often by selling fake property
  • noun
  • /ˈbʌŋkoʊ ɡeɪm/
  • US
: juego de bunco
  • He lost his savings in a bunco game run by a clever con artist.

Examples

  • The detective warned the community about the bunco game targeting elderly residents.

  • Authorities are cracking down on bunco games that trick people into buying fake properties.

  • They were caught playing a bunco game in the back room.

  • A bunco game often involves tricking unsuspecting victims.

  • Authorities are cracking down on bunco games that trick people into buying fake properties.

  • He lost his savings in a bunco game run by a clever con artist.

  • The detective warned the community about the bunco game targeting elderly residents.

Synonyms

game
vsbunco game
  • Informal
720 8.2

A secret plan to trick or cheat people

is a specific swindle used to cheat in gambling or sell worthless items
con
vsbunco game
  • Informal
203 7.2

A dishonest trick to get someone's money or things

is the same type of deception but focused on gambling or bad sales
sting
vsbunco game
70 6.3

A hidden trick to catch or cheat people often run by police

is a swindle aimed at cheating victims, not an enforcement operation
con game
vsbunco game
  • Informal
7 6.6

A dishonest trick that cheats people out of their money

is the more specific fraud used especially in gambling or worthless sales
hustle
vsbunco game
  • Slang
4 8.0

A dishonest plan to trick people and take their money

is similar but may emphasize a particular game or setup in cheating
rig
vsbunco game
  • Informal
2 7.7

A dishonest plan to cheat people, especially for money

is the same fraud type but specifically tied to gambling or bad sales
confidence game
vsbunco game
2 8.9

A dishonest trick that gains someone's trust to steal their money

is similar but stresses cheating at gambling or selling worthless property
bunco
vsbunco game
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A trick that cheats people out of their money, often in gambling or fake investments

means the same kind of swindle but uses a different common variant
flimflam
vsbunco game
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A plan to cheat people and take their money

matches that deceit but may sound more old fashioned or colloquial
confidence trick
vsbunco game
1 6.6

A dishonest plan to gain someone's trust and then take their money or things

focuses more on gambling or worthless sales rather than general trust fraud
bunko
vsbunco game
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A dishonest scheme that tricks people into giving money, often by selling worthless goods

expresses the same swindle idea with a different common form
bunko game
vsbunco game
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A trick that cheats people out of money by gambling or selling worthless things

has identical meaning but is spelled or written in another form

Antonyms

22 3.0

Honest behavior that treats everyone the same and follows the rules in sport or competition

How Serious

fraud
607 4.0
scam
  • NSFW
288 3.0
con
  • Informal
203 7.2
bunco game
  • US
1 9.9
rip-off
  • Informal
31 7.2

Surface Forms

bunco game singular
bunco games plural

Morphology

bunco + game

Both constituents directly contribute to the meaning: 'bunco' denotes a fraud or confidence trick and 'game' can mean a deceitful scheme or activity, so 'bunco game' straightforwardly denotes a gambling swindle. This compositional relationship makes the expression predictable for a learner who already knows both words.

Etymology

Bunco game may come from 1800s con men who ran a fake, flashy gambling game called a bunco to distract people while partners cheated them. That's why today bunco game means 'a swindle' — a trick where someone is 'cheated' or sold worthless things.