Pronunciation: /ʃɛl ɡeɪm/
noun a gambling game in which a small object is placed under one of three shells or cups, which are then moved around quickly and the player must guess which one it is under
A1 I saw a street performer doing a shell game with three cups and a ball.
A2 The tourist fell for the shell game scam and lost all his money.
B1 The detective suspected that the shell game was a distraction for the real crime.
B2 The con artist was skilled at manipulating the shells in the shell game to deceive his victims.
C1 The shell game was just one of the many tactics used by the criminal organization to launder money.
C2 The government launched an investigation into the elaborate shell game scheme orchestrated by the corrupt businessman.
formal The con artist was caught running a shell game on the streets of the city.
informal I heard there's a guy doing a shell game down at the boardwalk.
slang Don't fall for that shell game, it's a total scam.
figurative The political debate felt like a shell game, with each candidate trying to deceive the audience.
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