green con
- noun
:
ecoblanqueo
- Dozens of consumers fell victim to a green con that promised to plant a tree for every purchase.
Examples
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The company was accused of running a green con by exaggerating the eco-friendliness of its products.
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She became suspicious when the investment opportunity sounded like another green con.
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Don't fall for that green con!
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Many companies use a green con to sell their products.
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Many companies are exposed for running a green con by falsely advertising their products as environmentally friendly.
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After researching the product, I realized it was just another green con designed to mislead eco-conscious consumers.
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The documentary revealed how some brands engage in a green con to misrepresent their impact on the environment.
Synonyms
1
6.6
A false claim that a company or product is good for the environment
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a scam involving false environmental claims' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'green' (environmental/ecological) with 'con' (a dishonest scheme). This compound follows regular English compounding patterns (and parallels terms like 'eco-scam' or 'greenwashing'), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would likely infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
Green con comes from a simple trick: companies put the word green or a green label on a product to make it look 'eco-friendly', while con means a 'trick' or scam. That's why green con now means a dishonest claim about being good for the environment.