confidence game
noun
any swindle in which the swindler, after gaining the confidence of the victim, robs the victim by cheating at a gambling game, appropriating funds entrusted for investment, or the like.
Also called,
British,
confidence trick.
Origin of confidence game
An Americanism dating back to 1855–60
Words nearby confidence game
confetti,
confidant,
confidante,
confide,
confidence,
confidence game,
confidence interval,
confidence level,
confidence limits,
confidence man,
confidence trick
British Dictionary definitions for confidence trick
confidence trick
US and Canadian confidence game
noun
a swindle involving money, goods, etc, in which the victim's trust is won by the swindler
Informal shortened forms: con trick, (US and Canadian) con game
Idioms and Phrases with confidence trick
confidence game
Also, confidence trick; con game. A swindle in which the victim is defrauded after his or her trust has been won. For example, The police warned of a confidence game in which people were asked to turn over valuables for a so-called appraisal, or The typical confidence trick is easy to spot if you know what to look for, or I almost let myself be taken in by her con game—she seemed so sincere. These terms, which use confidence in the sense of “trust,” date from the mid-1800s. They also gave rise to confidence man (or con man) for the swindler.