Shell Game (Noun)
Meaning
A swindling sleight-of-hand game; victim guesses which of three things a pellet is under.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
Examples
- The street performer's shell game was a popular attraction, but many suspected it was rigged to fleece unsuspecting tourists.
- The hustler set up a shell game on the street corner, using his cunning and charm to lure in suckers.
- She accused the charming stranger of running a shell game, using his charm to swindle her out of her life savings.
- The police crackdown on street scams netted several arrests, including a notorious shell game operator who had been running his scam for years.
- The shell game was a classic confidence trick, but it was still surprising how many people fell for its false promises of easy winnings.