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Definition of phony
phonier
;phoniest
: not genuine or real: such asa (1) : intended to deceive or mislead (2) : intended to defraud : counterfeitb : arousing suspicion : probably dishonest something phony about the storyc : having no basis in fact : fictitious phony publicity storiesd : false, sham a phony namee : making a false show: such as (1) : hypocritical (2) : specious has a phony poetic elegance — New Republic
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Examples of phony in a Sentence
a phony watch with a designer logo
she always has this phony smile just before she betrays you
Recent Examples of phony from the Web
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The Texas businessman sent his lottery winnings offshore to buy a phony insurance policy for a personal corporation that never did any business — except receive the lottery prize.
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The Texas businessman sent his lottery winnings offshore to buy a phony insurance policy for a personal corporation that never did any business — except receive the lottery prize.
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Lives were still at stake; health officials wanted to alert the public about the phony pills.
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The studio publicity machine created a phony tale of a national search for the right person, whether actor or athlete, to play Gehrig.
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In Virginia, the phony Time cover hangs on the wall of the member's dining room at the Trump golf course in suburban Loudoun County, near Washington.
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Still, his staff added an extra trophy that was phony.
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The CDA, according to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, did not immunize the website Modelmayhem.com from a suit brought by an aspiring model who said she was drugged, raped, and filmed by two men during a phony 2011 audition.
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The U.S. Justice Department is investigating Uber’s past usage of phony software designed to thwart regulators trying to curb the growth of its service.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phony'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
It's the backstory of phony that deserves our attention. Phony (which dates from the early 1900s) is believed to be an alteration of the British fawney, the word for a gilded brass ring used in a confidence game called the "fawney rig." In this game, the trickster drops a ring (or a purse with some valuables in it) and runs to pick the item up at the same time as the poor sap who notices it on the ground. The trickster asserts that the found treasure should be split between them. The one who's "found" the item, convinced now of its value, chooses instead to give the con artist some money in order to keep the item, which is, of course, phony.
Origin and Etymology of phony
perhaps alteration of fawney gilded brass ring used in the fawney rig, a confidence game, from Irish fáinne ring, from Old Irish ánne — more at anus
phony
phoney
Definition of phony
phonies
alsophoneys
: one that is phony
Examples of phony in a Sentence
According to him, politics is full of phonies.
I don't think she ever meant to help us. What a phony!
Recent Examples of phony from the Web
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The phony prints usually sold for $3,000 to $5,000, the prosecutor said.
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Tolstedt, the retail banking head, was therefore expected to take full charge of any problems in her business, and the guiding standard of deference meant she was not pushed hard on the phony-accounts problem until late in the game.
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Romney had been one of Trump’s most strident critics in the 2016 election, calling him a phony and a fraud.
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The phony... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2017 ...
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SEALs can find a phony with only a few questions, so thieves beware.
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The phony... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2017 Democrats, too, have changed their tune in the aftermath of Comey's shock firing.
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LOS ANGELES - One day after folks found a suspicious e-mail in their inboxes inviting them to view a Google Doc that was in fact phony, Google introduced safer tools for its Android Gmail app.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phony'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of phony
1902
phony
Definition of phony
phonied
;phonying
transitive verb
: counterfeit, fake —often used with up a paper phonied up on the spur of the moment — William Faulkner
Examples of phony in a Sentence
the terrorists were able to move around the country using phonied driver's licenses
First Known Use of phony
1940
-phony
-phonia
Definition of -phony
1 : sound telephony
2 usually -phonia : speech disorder of a (specified) type dysphonia
Origin and Etymology of -phony
Latin -phonia, from Greek -phōnia, from -phōnos sounding — more at -phone
PHONY Defined for English Language Learners
phony
playDefinition of phony for English Language Learners
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: not true, real, or genuine : intended to make someone think something that is not true
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of a person : not honest or sincere : saying things that are meant to deceive people
phony
Definition of phony for English Language Learners
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: a person who pretends to be someone else or to have feelings or abilities that he or she does not really have : a person who is not sincere
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: something that is not real or genuine
PHONY Defined for Kids
phoney
\ˈfō-nē\Definition of phony for Students
phonier
;phoniest
: not real or genuine a phony dollar bill The principal's laugh sounded phony … — Andrew Clements, Frindle
phoney
Definition of phony for Students
phonies
alsophoneys
1 : a person who is not sincere
2 : something that is not real or genuine
Learn More about phony
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See words that rhyme with phony Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for phony Spanish Central: Translation of phony Nglish: Translation of phony for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of phony for Arabic speakers
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