three-card monte

noun

ˈthrē-ˈkärd- How to pronounce three-card monte (audio)
Synonyms of three-card montenext
: a gambling game in which the dealer shows three cards, shuffles them, places them face down, and invites spectators to bet they can identify the location of a particular card

Examples of three-card monte in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These characters are fluent in three-card monte rap, no cards required. — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2025 That subplot also introduces the metaphor of three-card monte that runs throughout the episode. — ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026 Or can one side be played as a sucker during a game of three-card monte on the sidewalk outside the dingy bus terminal? — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2024 But what Booth desperately wants is for Linc to teach him the art of three-card monte, and to work with him on the street. — Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 15 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for three-card monte

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of three-card monte was in 1854

Rhymes for three-card monte

See All Rhymes for three-card monte

Browse Nearby Words

three birds
three-card monte
three-card poker
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Three-card monte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/three-card%20monte. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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