as in fraud
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
claimed that many doctors were frauds and mountebanks
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Recent Examples of mountebank
Gould observed that Jerry Falwell had taken up the mountebank’s mission of William Jennings Bryan.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024
Now, this pallid Color Purple epitomizes the artistic dearth of an era when a cultural mountebank like Winfrey uses race and feminist guile to cheat us of America’s most creative achievements.
—Armond White, National Review, 3 Jan. 2024
The Republican, who is angling for the GOP nomination for president, staged a roundtable of scientific mountebanks on Wednesday to attack the vaccines.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023
The alternative circumstance, that crackpots and mountebanks might claim such evidence exists, then fail to produce any, is, on the other hand, entirely plausible and familiar.
—Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 31 July 2023
Berk was no mountebank or philistine.
—Mimi Kramer, Vulture, 10 May 2022
Another was Charles Colchester, a mountebank who also conjured Willie to the satisfaction of the first lady.
—John J. Miller, WSJ, 30 Oct. 2022
Or does the word seem a little shifty, denoting a modern-day mountebank (another great word), bent on self-promotion, unscrupulous precisely because no special degree is required?
—Will Jeakle, Forbes, 29 June 2021
American politicians, the pusillanimous and the mountebanks and even their opposites, used to be as highfalutin as Foghorn Leghorn with their gibes, which made politics fun for fans of Shakespeare, the Bible or obscure history.
—oregonlive, 31 Mar. 2020
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024
Now, this pallid Color Purple epitomizes the artistic dearth of an era when a cultural mountebank like Winfrey uses race and feminist guile to cheat us of America’s most creative achievements.
—Armond White, National Review, 3 Jan. 2024
The Republican, who is angling for the GOP nomination for president, staged a roundtable of scientific mountebanks on Wednesday to attack the vaccines.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023
The alternative circumstance, that crackpots and mountebanks might claim such evidence exists, then fail to produce any, is, on the other hand, entirely plausible and familiar.
—Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 31 July 2023
Berk was no mountebank or philistine.
—Mimi Kramer, Vulture, 10 May 2022
Another was Charles Colchester, a mountebank who also conjured Willie to the satisfaction of the first lady.
—John J. Miller, WSJ, 30 Oct. 2022
Or does the word seem a little shifty, denoting a modern-day mountebank (another great word), bent on self-promotion, unscrupulous precisely because no special degree is required?
—Will Jeakle, Forbes, 29 June 2021
American politicians, the pusillanimous and the mountebanks and even their opposites, used to be as highfalutin as Foghorn Leghorn with their gibes, which made politics fun for fans of Shakespeare, the Bible or obscure history.
—oregonlive, 31 Mar. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mountebank
Noun
-
Rather than leaning on the missions of inspectors general, whose job is to search out waste and fraud at government agencies, Trump has moved forcefully against them, flouting statutes that require a 30-day notice and specific reasons for their dismissals.—
Stephen Groves,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2025
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In 2023, researchers revealed that tens of thousands of Android TV boxes being used in homes, schools, and businesses were equipped with secret backdoors that allowed them to be used in a host of cybercrime and online fraud.—
Lily Hay Newman,
WIRED,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The bot will see you now: Therapists in the U.S. are getting ready for a battle with A.I. pretenders.—
Natasha Frost,
New York Times,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Without a bit more heart and soul, the spinoff is just a pretender in a nicely tailored suit.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA TODAY,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Color choices include oatmeal, cream, and silver – and the shams are sold separately.—
Terri Williams,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
-
Extended deterrence was a sham, and the people who relied on it were suckers.—
Gideon Rose,
Foreign Affairs,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Within hours of that bill being signed, lawmakers in South Dakota pushed forward their own legislation seeking to impose civil and criminal penalties for individuals and groups who share deep fakes intended to influence a political campaign.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
12 Mar. 2025
-
International music superstar Celine Dion has issued a warning to fans to beware of fakes.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
EW.com,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
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There was too much history for anyone to dismantle, let alone a charlatan like Hitler.—
Luke Berryman,
New York Daily News,
27 Feb. 2025
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Other contributor: Conor O’Neill (Top photo: Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images) Comments W Will S. · 2h 34m ago Because Maresca is a one trick pony charlatan and half of Chelsea’s first team players are more interested in Snapchat & Twitter.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
The Athletic,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Milla — a young woman who feels disillusioned by doctors that treat her like a recalcitrant child, directing even conversations about her treatment to her father instead of her — finds false security in quacks selling enemas and juice cleanses.—
Angie Han,
The Hollywood Reporter,
5 Feb. 2025
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Trump’s Insane Clown Posse Cabinet is very close to being filled with a cadre of fools and quacks, goons and thugs.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2025
Noun
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That specific kind of grift is known as an impostor scam.—
Alana Semuels,
TIME,
18 Sep. 2024
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At minimum, the Richards bit — which, admittedly, some liked more than others — rolls out a red carpet for Leon to steal the show as a Jewish-doctor impostor trying to snap Richards into it after his Groats diagnosis.—
Larry Fitzmaurice,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2024
Articles Related to mountebank
Cite this Entry
“Mountebank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mountebank. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.
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