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
-
What will that mean for a couple of buddies whose relationship might be more complex than either of them is ready to admit?—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
-
Well, buddy, take a seat and settle in for some A+ virtue-signaling!—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 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
-
Next the hosts talk about the NBA playoffs, where underdogs continue to outperform their historical peers.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
7 May 2026
-
Lapray and cofounder Bram De Cleen were inspired to develop a new skate sneaker after noticing that their peers would often wear shoes only to skateboard in before switching into something more comfortable or stylish.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Want to save even more, comrade?—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
1 May 2026
-
Musk is trying a number of tactics to inflict pain on his old comrades.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crony. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
