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
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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
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Recent Examples of crony
Of course, by then our 47th president and his cronies will be long gone, but those who struggle to survive the violent disruption of climate change will curse the man whose mindless decision in 2026 spelled the end of a global attempt to save the planet.
—
Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2026
Texas deserves real solutions, not crony monopolies or half-measures.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
To instead watch the racial-slur slinging Kid Rock and his MAGA cronies.
—Prince J. Grimes, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
To reduce prices, Congress needs to cut spending while slashing crony regulations, especially in health care and environmental mandates that drive up prices in housing, food and energy.
—Peter St. Onge, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crony
Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2026
Texas deserves real solutions, not crony monopolies or half-measures.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
To instead watch the racial-slur slinging Kid Rock and his MAGA cronies.
—Prince J. Grimes, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
To reduce prices, Congress needs to cut spending while slashing crony regulations, especially in health care and environmental mandates that drive up prices in housing, food and energy.
—Peter St. Onge, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crony
Noun
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In January, Yemen’s Interior Ministry re-upped a request to its Emirati counterpart to apprehend Al-Maqtari and his associates.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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The chatter around streaming bots grew noticeably louder in August 2025, when a prison phone call between Young Thug and an unidentified associate leaked online.—
Kyle Eustice,
VIBE.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Sagittarius November 22 – December 21 Adventure finds you through familiar friends.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
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The new summer blockbuster will follow Supergirl's three-day mission to obtain a cure for her superdog and friend, Krypto, who is poisoned by villainous alien Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Randolph’s wife and daughter were in the courtroom gallery throughout the trial with other relatives and the sergeant’s former colleagues.—
Emerson Clarridge
Updated March 30,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
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As my colleague Sam McDowell deftly summed up last week, Royals outfielders combined in 2025 to finish last in on-base percentage, 29th in OPS (on-base plus slugging), 29th in home runs and 30th in runs.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The sheer force of gravity as the rocket climbs toward space keeps the astronauts, and their zero G buddy, in their seats the first eight minutes post-liftoff.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
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Took the leap, moved to Norwood with two of the guys and my buddy Ben, and loved it.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Pritzker did not know at the time of the photo-op that McMiller and his accomplices would soon be facing first-degree murder charges.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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After freeing a man who was convicted in a pizza delivery driver’s slaying, the state’s Parole Board has rejected releasing an accomplice who fatally stabbed the food courier.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The directors’ lab will support filmmakers preparing their first features, while the writers’ lab will offer workshops, table reads, peer mentorship and one-on-one consultations to help emerging screenwriters refine their scripts.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
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Yet Illinois’ dominant insurer, along with many of its peers, continues to behave as though steep increases are unavoidable.—
Barbara Hoare,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Murphy snapped the shot just as the seraphic straggler picked his head up to get a sense of his bearings, then later sauntered back to rejoin his comrades.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Mar. 2026
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She gets roughed up by the homeless shelter’s resident sociopath (Lea Delaria, who is riveting) and meets comrades like the sweet Nova (Demi Lovato) and the combative Denise (Ariana DeBose), who’s as difficult as Amanda is.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crony. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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