pyramid scheme
noun
: a usually illegal operation in which participants pay to join and profit mainly from payments made by subsequent participants
Examples of pyramid scheme in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The government encouraged citizens to invest in a pyramid scheme, triggering a revolt and eventually a civil war—a process in which her family, along with many others, lost everything.
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Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021
Both individuals orchestrated massive pyramid schemes, defrauding investors of billions.
—James Broughel, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Herbalife eventually settled the suit for about two hundred million dollars and agreed to restructure its operations; in return, the F.T.C. stopped short of calling the company a pyramid scheme, and Herbalife stayed in business.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024
Despite the decades of bad press and costly litigation that ensued, pyramid schemes—or, to be precise, the ostensibly law-abiding companies that happen to be dead ringers for pyramid schemes—appear to be an immovable pillar of the American economy.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pyramid scheme 
Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021
Both individuals orchestrated massive pyramid schemes, defrauding investors of billions.
—James Broughel, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Herbalife eventually settled the suit for about two hundred million dollars and agreed to restructure its operations; in return, the F.T.C. stopped short of calling the company a pyramid scheme, and Herbalife stayed in business.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024
Despite the decades of bad press and costly litigation that ensued, pyramid schemes—or, to be precise, the ostensibly law-abiding companies that happen to be dead ringers for pyramid schemes—appear to be an immovable pillar of the American economy.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pyramid scheme
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pyramid scheme.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Pyramid scheme.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pyramid%20scheme. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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