sham
noun
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Definition of sham
(Entry 1 of 3)
sham
adjectiveDefinition of sham (Entry 2 of 3)
sham
verbDefinition of sham (Entry 3 of 3)
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Other Words from sham
Verb
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noun
Synonyms & Antonyms for sham
Synonyms: Noun
caricature, cartoon, farce, joke, mockery, parody, travesty
Synonyms: Adjective
artificial, bogus, dummy, ersatz, factitious, fake, false, faux, imitation, imitative, man-made, mimic, mock, pretend, simulated, substitute, synthetic
Synonyms: Verb
act, affect, assume, bluff, counterfeit, dissemble, fake, feign, pass (for), pretend, profess, put on, simulate
Antonyms: Adjective
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Examples of sham in a Sentence
Noun
He claims that the trial was a sham. Their marriage was a sham. Many people believed he could help them, but I knew he was a sham. She exposed their sham and hypocrisy.Adjective
a sofa upholstered in sham leather street vendors selling sham designer handbags to gullible touristsVerb
She wasn't really hurt; she was only shamming. He was shamming illness to avoid work.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
While elegant in these regards, the mission was something of a sham. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "NASA says it’s building a gateway to the Moon—critics say it’s just a gate," 6 Sep. 2018 Yet this is a political climate that says facts are malleable, and expertise itself is a kind of sham — so where does that leave philosophers? — Christopher Borrelli, chicagotribune.com, "Our summer of fear: A conversation with Chicago philosopher Martha Nussbaum," 9 July 2018 Photo: marco bello/Reuters His re-election was widely panned as a sham after the government barred top rival politicians from running and used food handouts to buy votes, leading the political opposition to boycott the vote. — Kejal Vyas, WSJ, "Venezuelan Leader Starts Second Term With Grim Outlook," 10 Jan. 2019 It was formally incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 after a U.N.-sponsored ballot that was seen as a sham by many. — Niniek Karmini, The Seattle Times, "Indonesia rejects rebels’ demand on Papua independence talks," 11 Dec. 2018 Harry Engels/Getty Images Michael Cohen’s guilty plea on Thursday is the strongest evidence yet that House Republicans’ probe into possible Trump-Russia collusion was nothing more than a partisan sham. — Alex Ward, Vox, "Michael Cohen’s guilty plea proves the House GOP’s Russia investigation was a sham," 30 Nov. 2018 For Kremlin critics, the developments were further proof that the much-vaunted anti-corruption campaign is a sham aimed at boosting Putin’s image ahead of the elections. — Marc Bennetts, Newsweek, "Why Putin’s Corruption Crackdown May Be a Pre-Election Show," 6 Mar. 2018 Matelassé Rosary coverlet and Euro shams in Ivory, from $75; pineconehill.annieselke.com. — Country Living, "2015 Country Living Makeover Takeover: Buying Guide," 18 June 2015 NurPhoto via Getty Images The Russia investigation is a sham. — Jane Coaston, Vox, "#QAnon, the scarily popular pro-Trump conspiracy theory, explained," 1 Aug. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
The resulting sham prosecution made plain to Waring the hypocrisy of the Justice Department’s efforts. — Joseph Crespino, WSJ, "‘Unexampled Courage’ Review: Showing America the Way," 18 Jan. 2019 There is no crime within their jurisdiction, forcing her -- get this -- forcing her into a sham hearing. — Fox News, "Alan Dershowitz: Kavanaugh accuser must speak first," 21 Sep. 2018 Despite its sham humility, this bitter retort to the scribblers who denied him the last measure of greatness falls short for a want of tough-minded self-analysis. — Jamie James, WSJ, "‘John O’Hara: Four Novels of the 1930s’ Review: Big Fish in Small Towns," 3 Jan. 2019 The Australian study, published in JAMA, included 824 women planning to undergo I.V.F. Half received acupuncture and half sham acupuncture a week before follicle stimulation and then again before and after transfer of the embryo. — Nicholas Bakalar, New York Times, "Acupuncture Does Not Improve Pregnancy Rates," 17 May 2018 Nevertheless, the study found that live birth rates really didn't differ depending on whether a woman got the real or the sham acupuncture. — E.j. Mundell, chicagotribune.com, "Study finds no evidence acupuncture boosts fertility treatment," 16 May 2018 Pathogen exposure and not the sham treatment changed the ants’ behavior in ways that further protected the colony. — Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, "Sick ants stay away from the kids," 26 Nov. 2018 He and his siblings set up a sham corporation to disguise millions of dollars in gifts from their parents, records and interviews show. — Susanne Craig, The Seattle Times, "Trump engaged in suspect tax schemes as he reaped riches from father," 2 Oct. 2018 According to the indictment, the men constructed a sham security company as a front for the hacking campaign, pretending to offer penetration testing services to corporate customers. — Russell Brandom, The Verge, "Ukrainian hackers arrested for stealing 15 million credit card records," 1 Aug. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Ronson’s book itself was publicly shamed for heaping too much shame upon shamers. — Aja Romano, Vox, "Why the Kevin Hart Oscars backlash is different from other recent public shamings," 5 Jan. 2019 The authorities and their officials were to be shamed into behaving as their moral and religious codes instructed them to behave. — Ferdinand Mount, WSJ, "‘Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World’ Review: The Prophet as Politician," 1 Nov. 2018 If a woman was both, she would be shamed for it on a daily basis. — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "We All Owe Monica Lewinsky an Apology," 9 July 2018 There was a story about a hotel owner publicly shaming an influencer who wanted to stay for free in return for publicity. — Tess Koman, Cosmopolitan, "The Hotel This Influencer Wanted to Stay at For Free Is Now Billing Her Millions," 23 Jan. 2018 Parents in the other camp took issue with the message's delivery, claiming that the notice publicly shames parents — especially working moms, who just might be trying to get everything done and submitted before dinner. — Sarah Schreiber, Good Housekeeping, "This Day Care's "Get Off Your Phone!" Sign Is Dividing Parents Everywhere," 2 Feb. 2017 In implementing the disclosure requirement in 2016, the British government sought to close the pesky divide with a naming-and-shaming approach. — Claire Zillman, Fortune, "10,000 British Companies Revealed Their Pay Gaps. Here's What We Learned," 5 Apr. 2018 What's needed is a strategy that shames Congress, which sometimes seems beyond shame, for misspending the people's money. — Author: Cal Thomas | Opinion, Anchorage Daily News, "Boldly going like no president before," 6 Mar. 2018 At a time when women are still being shamed for breastfeeding in public, Slick's maternity looks challenge the outdated and sexist notions that a woman should have to conceal her pregnant body. — Lauren Alexis Fisher, Harper's BAZAAR, "Slick Woods Is Redefining Maternity Style at New York Fashion Week," 7 Sep. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sham.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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28 Feb 2019
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More Definitions for sham
sham
noun
English Language Learners Definition of sham
(Entry 1 of 3)
sham
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of sham (Entry 3 of 3)
See the full definition for sham in the English Language Learners Dictionary
sham
noun
\
Kids Definition of sham
(Entry 1 of 3)
sham
adjectiveKids Definition of sham (Entry 2 of 3)
sham
verbKids Definition of sham (Entry 3 of 3)
sham
adjective
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Medical Definition of sham
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sham
noun
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Legal Definition of sham
(Entry 1 of 2)
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