confidence game
2
8.9
- noun
- /ˈkɒnfɪdəns ɡeɪm/
- call it a confidence game
Examples
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Criminal record: one conviction for operating a confidence game.
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Tommy Suits always said, "A confidence game is like putting on a play, where everyone knows their part.
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It's nothing but a confidence game to keep the Ponzi going.
Blog text (10) -
It is all a confidence game.
Blog text (1) -
It is the oldest confidence game in the books.
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It's all a confidence game, and if the shareholders lose confidence, Ubisoft goes down the toilet.
Blog text (18) -
Elections are to some extent a confidence game, and political teams know they have to project confidence even in the face of overwhelmingly negative odds.
Blog text (5) -
The detective investigated a group suspected of running a confidence game that cheated many investors.
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She lost her savings in a confidence game when she trusted a scammer promising quick returns.
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In the park, a man approached me with a confidence game involving a fake lottery win.
Synonyms
720
8.2
A secret plan to trick or cheat people
203
7.2
A dishonest trick to get someone's money or things
7
6.6
A dishonest trick that cheats people out of their money
4
8.0
A dishonest plan to trick people and take their money
1
9.9
A trick that cheats people out of their money, often in gambling or fake investments
1
9.9
A plan to cheat people and take their money
1
6.6
A dishonest plan to gain someone's trust and then take their money or things
1
9.9
A dishonest scheme that tricks people into giving money, often by selling worthless goods
1
9.9
A trick that cheats people out of money by gambling or selling worthless things
1
9.9
A trick that cheats people out of their money, often by selling fake property
Antonyms
How Fraudulent
- Informal
203
7.2
2
8.9
- Archaic
1
9.9
10
8.8
- Slang
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'confidence' = trust and 'game' = a deceitful plot, so a learner can infer this is a scheme that relies on gaining trust. This pattern is transparent and cross-linguistically common (cf. 'confidence trick'), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to understand it.
Etymology
The noun confidence game comes from a simple image: a trickster first wins your confidence ('to trust' them) by being friendly or helpful, and then uses that trust to steal or 'to cheat' you. That's why a confidence game now means a dishonest plan that tricks people by gaining their trust.