three-card monte

[three-kahrd] / ˈθriˌkɑrd /

NOUN

gambling game

Synonyms

WEAK

shell game thimblerig

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.

His three-card monte skills are storied in the neighborhood, but he’s determined to proceed down the straight and narrow.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2025

Yet racing, at times, plays its fatality numbers as if it were a game of three-card monte.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2024

If you see anyone playing three-card monte or a shell game, just keep walking.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 28, 2023

Another Pulitzer winner now in a blistering Broadway revival, Suzan-Lori Parks’s “Topdog/Underdog,” features as its dramatic linchpin the art of the street hustle, in three-card monte.

From Washington Post • Nov. 29, 2022

Yakov won the first two games, but when it came time to find the Lady at three-card monte, he uncovered a worthless heart.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros