sham
noun
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Definition of sham
(Entry 1 of 3)
1 : a trick that deludes : hoax feared that the deal was a sham
2 : cheap falseness : hypocrisy saw through the hollowness, the sham, the silliness of the empty pageant— Oscar Wilde
3 : an ornamental covering for a pillow
4 : an imitation or counterfeit purporting to be genuine
5 : a person who shams
sham
adjectiveDefinition of sham (Entry 2 of 3)
sham
verbDefinition of sham (Entry 3 of 3)
: to go through the external motions necessary to counterfeit
: to act intentionally so as to give a false impression : feign
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Other Words from sham
Verb
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noun
Synonyms & Antonyms for sham
Synonyms: Noun
charlatan, fake, faker, fraud, hoaxer, humbug, impostor (or imposter), mountebank, phony (also phoney), pretender, quack, ringer
Synonyms: Adjective
affected, artificial, assumed, bogus, contrived, factitious, fake, false, feigned, forced, mechanical, mock, phony (also phoney), plastic, pretended, pseudo, put-on, simulated, strained, unnatural
Synonyms: Verb
act, affect, assume, bluff, counterfeit, dissemble, fake, feign, pass (for), pretend, profess, put on, simulate
Antonyms: Adjective
artless, genuine, natural, spontaneous, unaffected, uncontrived, unfeigned, unforced
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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
Maduro won a second six-year term in May in an election boycotted by the main opposition parties and widely criticized by the United States and other governments as a sham. — Fox News, "Pence stops in Ecuador to talk trade, Venezuela crisis," 28 June 2018 Pompeo has labeled it a sham, and the United States and other nations have refused to recognize it. — Carol Morello, Washington Post, "Pompeo calls for kicking Venezuela out of OAS and more sanctions," 4 June 2018 The Iran deal is a sham and the Iranians want and are developing nuclear weapons to use against the west and to use against Israel. — Fox News, "Conway on Iran deal, White House Correspondents' Dinner," 1 May 2018 The government claims the charity was really a sham, set up by Holiefield and Iacobelli, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and tax evasion last month. — Tresa Baldas, USA TODAY, "5th person charged in UAW-Fiat Chrysler scandal: Another union exec accused of theft," 14 Mar. 2018 Laws banning conversion therapy have become increasingly popular around the country as professional groups reject the practice as a sham, and a potentially damaging one, at that. — Scott Dance, baltimoresun.com, "Maryland becomes 11th state to ban conversion therapy for LGBT youth as Gov. Hogan signs bill," 15 May 2018 The Millers then signed and notarized the loan documents and returned them to the banks, instructing the banks to wire the fraudulent loan proceeds to multiple bank accounts in the name of sham corporations the brothers established. — Cyrus Moulton, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago brothers who ran fake airplane loan scheme sent to prison," 8 June 2018 The prices are pretty reasonable, starting at $36, and going up to $179 for a full/queen comforter and sham set. — Danielle Tullo, House Beautiful, "American Eagle and Dormify Just Dropped the Home Decor Collaboration of Your Dreams," 8 June 2018 In his victory speech, Erdogan argued that the high turnout meant Western nations could not claim his elections were a sham. — Billy Perrigo, Time, "What Erdogan’s Election Victory Means For Turkey’s Future," 25 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
President Trump and his supporters have long charged that the FBI conducted a sham investigation of Clinton. — Warren Richey, The Christian Science Monitor, "Inspector general on Comey: dissecting an error in judgment," 15 June 2018 As to Doe’s specific claims about sham investigations, the university’s statement on Wednesday claims that neither the team nor the athletic department knew about her situation and thus never investigated it. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Title IX Lawsuit Over Players' Alleged Rape Adds to Michigan State's Growing Legal Troubles," 13 Apr. 2018 The bogus crash report in September 2016 was but one of dozens of sham claims that cost the insurance giant more than half-a-million dollars, prosecutors say, and led to a series of arrests on Tuesday morning. — David Ovalle, miamiherald, "One Lexus, 10 crashes, none real. Rogue adjusters in Miami scammed GEICO, police say," 10 July 2018 Blogs and websites about various infestations, many of which are devoted to conspiracy theories and biologically impossible explanations, give sufferers a sense of community, but also reinforce delusions and often try to sell them on sham solutions. — National Geographic, "Think Your Body Is Infested With Insects? You're Not Alone.," 22 June 2018 Prosecutors allege Pam bilked the estates of most of the proceeds from the sale of the Sanford Street home by arranging a sham transaction in which his then-girlfriend, Jasmin Deangelo, purportedly purchased the property for $140,000 in April 2015. — Laura Crimaldi, BostonGlobe.com, "Pam family members go on trial for allegedly scamming elderly siblings out of Mattapan home," 13 July 2018 Over the years, taking a sugar pill, receiving a sham injection, or even just visiting a doctor has been shown to reduce pain, lower blood pressure, and relieve depression. — Jacqueline Detwiler, Popular Mechanics, "I Hacked My Body So You Don't Have To," 25 June 2018 Plea bargains are the norm in Israel’s military justice system, which is characterized by prolonged pretrial detention, abuse of kids and sham trials. — Lawahez Jabari, NBC News, "Ahed Tamimi, Palestinian teen on trial for hitting soldier, agrees to plea deal: report," 21 Mar. 2018 From January 2014 through October 2017, Mencia, and three members of his office staff conspired to perform sham consultations with cash-paying patients, investigators said. — Susannah Bryan, Sun-Sentinel.com, "'Pill mill' doc who prescribed 1.2 million doses of opioids found guilty," 1 July 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The punishment for this crime is to lose your livelihood, legacy, reputation and to be publicly shamed. — Hilary Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter, "Jacinda Barrett Defends Ex-Boyfriend Chris Hardwick Amid Misconduct Scandal," 26 June 2018 In one recent controversial incident, a Bollywood actress shamed a Mumbai resident for littering. — Vidhi Doshi, Washington Post, "Mumbai’s plastic ban carries costly fines and jail sentences for offenders," 26 June 2018 This can be traced directly to the delay in getting help to Puerto Rico's 3.4 million U.S. citizens by President Donald Trump’s administration, which had to be shamed into jumping into action. — Fabiola Santiago, miamiherald, "Memo to Gov. Rick Scott: A real Floridian doesn’t get hysterical over rain and squalls," 29 May 2018 But questioning an accuser is not shaming a victim. — Erika Harwood, Vanities, "Bill Cosby Found Guilty in Sexual Assault Case," 26 Apr. 2018 There is absolutely no reason that politicians need to be shamed or punished for expressing ambition. — Chris Cillizza, CNN, "The absolutely idiotic way we make politicians pretend they're not running for president," 5 Apr. 2018 That means direct dialogue with all of the companies and, when necessary, shaming them. — Betsy Morris, WSJ, "The New Tech Avengers," 30 June 2018 Here the cheerleaders focus on the alleged duct-taping of body parts as a way of shaming them into losing weight and/or adding muscle tone. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "NFL Teams Previously Have Settled in Cheerleader Lawsuits. Will Texans' Ex-Cheerleaders Set Different Precedent?," 25 June 2018 The Cut talked to Moretz about using eye cream as a 9-year-old, her experience of being acne-shamed by a group of grown men, and her thoughts on whether zits are cool now. — Shannon Barbour, The Cut, "Chloë Grace Moretz on Being Shamed for Acne in Hollywood," 22 June 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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Last Updated
10 Oct 2018
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More Definitions for sham
sham
noun
English Language Learners Definition of sham
(Entry 1 of 3)
: something that is not what it appears to be and that is meant to trick or deceive people
: someone who deceives people by pretending to be a particular kind of person, to have a particular skill, etc.
: words or actions that are not sincere or honest
sham
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of sham (Entry 3 of 3)
: to act in a way that is meant to trick or deceive people
See the full definition for sham in the English Language Learners Dictionary
sham
noun
\
Kids Definition of sham
(Entry 1 of 3)
1 : something that deceives : hoax
2 : something that is claimed to be true or real but which is actually phony
3 : a decorative covering for a pillow
sham
adjectiveKids Definition of sham (Entry 2 of 3)
: not real : false sham concern
sham
verbKids Definition of sham (Entry 3 of 3)
: to act in a deceiving way
sham
adjective
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Medical Definition of sham
: being a treatment or procedure that is performed as a control and that is similar to but omits a key therapeutic element of the treatment or procedure under investigation sham surgery, in which doctors make an incision in a patient's knee and manipulate the joint, but don't clean out fluid, debris, and torn cartilage— Liz Kowalczyk a sham injection of saline solution
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sham
noun
\
Legal Definition of sham
(Entry 1 of 2)
: something that is false, deceptive, misleading, or otherwise not genuine
sham
adjectiveKeep scrolling for more
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