shell game
The term "shell game" originates from a street gambling trick and is often used to describe deceptive schemes.
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Definition
B2Street Gambling
(informal)A game where a small object is hidden under one of several shells or cups, which are shuffled to confuse the guesser.
Example
- He lost all his money playing the shell game with a street hustler.
C1Fraud
(figurative)A deceptive scheme where elements are manipulated to mislead or cheat others.
Example
- The company's finances were a shell game, making it hard to see where the money was really going.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "shell game":
hidden-ball trickmind gamering gameparty gamehide the ballcircle game