1
as in associate
a person frequently seen in the company of another
the criminal's cronies were also closely questioned about the illegal gambling operation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in friend
a person who has a strong liking for and trust in another
only my cronies can call me by my nickname
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of crony
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
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
Too many department heads are cronies, not experienced experts.
—Hal Valderhaug, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crony
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 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
Too many department heads are cronies, not experienced experts.
—Hal Valderhaug, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crony
Noun
-
Federal authorities charged more than 25 alleged members and associates of Tren de Aragua (TdA), seizing more than 80 firearms, roughly 18 kilograms of drugs and more than $100,000 in cash as part of a sweeping crackdown on the violent transnational gang.—
Eric Mack,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
Bell and his associates formed the Bell Telephone Company (1877), adopted a leasing model, secured patents, settled a pivotal dispute with Western Union (1879), and participated in building the manufacturing and long-distance infrastructure that scaled the telephone nationwide in the next decade.—
David H. Hsu,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Dalila Santiago, a close friend and leader in López’s movement, said after rampant impunity in Honduras, Fúnez’s detention came as a shock.—
Marlon González,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
Ward and his friends' frequent complaints about i-Ready prompted his father to research the program.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Brunson's former The Help colleagues Octavia Spencer and Allison Janney attended the ceremony.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
-
While Lorenz focused on the physical and mathematical aspects of the problem, Hamilton and her colleagues were busy programming the desk computer.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
So thank you, little buddy, for saving my life.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
Saturday Night Live guest host Matt Damon reprised his role as Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh, who reveals to drinking buddies Pete Hegseth and Kash Patel what Donald Trump‘s political future will look like.—
William Vaillancourt,
Rolling Stone,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
In early 2024, a journalist reported that, after children were abused in a state-run facility, people within Fidesz had quietly pardoned an accomplice.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
Mitchell and Wanda Barzee, his then-wife and accomplice, were captured by law enforcement shortly after.—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Still, the Braves won the series and went 4-2 over six games against the Dodgers and Cubs, their peers atop the National League’s hierarchy.—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
15 May 2026
-
The peer reminded me why the Party elected him in the first place—as an antidote to the soap opera of the Conservative party, which was in power at the time, and as a way to move on from Labour’s internal bickering under Jeremy Corbyn.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Yet, none were more potent than his original comrade, Foux.—
Miki Hellerbach,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
-
Previously under the impression Gali had voluntarily extended her military service, Orna learns she was actually discharged early, then entered some shady deals with her ex-comrades.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crony. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
