grifter
noun
a person who operates a side show at a circus, fair, etc., especially a gambling attraction.
grifters
-
pluralof grifter.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Whenever there is a crisis -- especially in the health space -- the grifters are gonna come out," said Timothy Caulfield, a misinformation expert and professor at the University of Alberta.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
This particular grift may have failed, but in a world built on massive structural inequality, grifters tend to prosper.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
The military swarms in to build a metal wall around the titanic alien, and Blunt’s cozy community of 700 swells to more than 100,000: scientists, journalists, tourists, opportunists and the inevitable grifters, criminals and weirdos.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
The rush of pseudoscientists, grifters, wellness influencers, and celebrity advocates into the space only made the chronic Lyme debate more fraught.
From Slate ● Dec. 19, 2025
Chaos had followed the fall of the South, just as war-ravaged societies always attract thieves and grifters.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
