(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
Fraud is the crime of gaining money or financial benefits by a trick or by lying.
He was jailed for two years for ~ and deception...
Tax ~s are dealt with by the Inland Revenue.
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2.
A ~ is something or someone that deceives people in a way that is illegal or dishonest.
He believes many ‘psychics’ are ~s who rely on perception and subtle deception.
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3.
If you call someone or something a ~, you are criticizing them because you think that they are not genuine, or are less good than they claim or appear to be.
...all those fashion ~s who think they are being original by raiding the tired old styles of the ’60s.
N-COUNT disapproval