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Glite Dictionary
🚢 A driver 🕵️ A trickster
steerer

steerer

9.9
A person who tricks people into danger so others can steal from them
  • noun
  • /ˈstɪrər/
  • Jargon
translation icon : manipulador

But if you weren't kids made money being steerers or lookouts.

Examples

  • Well, I was there once lookin' for a bunco steerer named 21-Jewel Slim.

    Rooster Cogburn (1975)

  • The con artist acted as a steerer, leading unsuspecting victims into dangerous investments.

  • He was known as a master steerer, always luring people into risky situations with his charming words.

  • As a steerer for the gang, she skillfully manipulated others into taking the fall for their crimes.

Synonyms

decoy
vssteerer
53 5.8

A person who tricks others into a trap or danger

guides someone into danger through cunning direction rather than mere temptation

Antonyms

rescuer
64 1.4

A person who saves people or animals from danger

Surface Forms

steerer singular
steerers plural

Morphology

steerer = steer (opaque) = steer + er

The word 'steerer' is built from 'steer' + 'er', but the specific meaning of leading someone into danger is not a standard grammatical derivation.

Etymology

The word steerer comes from the verb steer, which means 'to guide' or 'turn'. A helpful way to remember the scam meaning is to imagine someone secretly 'steering' a victim into danger, like a driver taking a wrong turn.