plural cronies
: a close friend usually of long standing : pal
played golf with his cronies
often, specifically
: a person who unfairly receives special treatment see also cronyism, crony capitalism
Examples of crony in a Sentence
The mayor rewarded his cronies with high-paying jobs after he was elected.
the criminal's cronies were also closely questioned about the illegal gambling operation
Recent Examples on the Web
Republican presidents have displayed a decades-long tendency to fill the top spot with political cronies or pro-business activists masquerading as worker advocates, or worse.
—
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Leave ownership undefined, and the moon will become a playground for politicians and their cronies.
—Antony Davies, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
Magyar has called for all of Orbán’s cronies in the government to resign and has committed to holding to account those who plundered Hungary.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Her earliest moments in the show have shades of a western—No Country for Old Men with a side of devout Trump supporters, sniffer dogs, petrifying cronies, and balloons stuffed with fentanyl and swallowed with lube.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crony
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Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Leave ownership undefined, and the moon will become a playground for politicians and their cronies.
—Antony Davies, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
Magyar has called for all of Orbán’s cronies in the government to resign and has committed to holding to account those who plundered Hungary.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Her earliest moments in the show have shades of a western—No Country for Old Men with a side of devout Trump supporters, sniffer dogs, petrifying cronies, and balloons stuffed with fentanyl and swallowed with lube.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crony
Cite this Entry
“Crony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crony. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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