as in prejudice
disapproving
the unfair practice by a powerful person (such as a politician) of giving jobs and other favors to friends
The mayor has been accused of cronyism.
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Recent Examples of cronyism
Some might say there was a lot of cronyism involved, and there definitely was, but the DJs at WHRB put a lot of work into promoting us on the show Record Hospital.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
One year after her appointment, Karki faced an impeachment motion from the ruling coalition after her bench overturned the government’s choice for police chief, a decision seen as a defense of meritocracy against political cronyism.
—Sugam Pokharel, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
The absence of corruption, scandal, self-dealing and cronyism makes this a revitalizing break from real-world concerns, without in any way veering into sappy idealism.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
Applied broadly, this approach of empowering competition rather than cronyism will incentivize innovation and entrepreneurship and help restore our past economic vitality.
—Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cronyism
Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
One year after her appointment, Karki faced an impeachment motion from the ruling coalition after her bench overturned the government’s choice for police chief, a decision seen as a defense of meritocracy against political cronyism.
—Sugam Pokharel, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
The absence of corruption, scandal, self-dealing and cronyism makes this a revitalizing break from real-world concerns, without in any way veering into sappy idealism.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
Applied broadly, this approach of empowering competition rather than cronyism will incentivize innovation and entrepreneurship and help restore our past economic vitality.
—Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cronyism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cronyism
Noun
-
The Supreme Court of New York subsequently ruled that the case be discontinued with prejudice, meaning that it cannot be filed again.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Jan. 2026
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Research has shown that having contact with those outside our own group reduces prejudice and increases trust and the willingness to forgive, which is fundamental to our growth both individually and collectively.—
Arianna Huffington,
Time,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And there is also the power of confirmation bias.—
Lauren Wilson,
NBC news,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Was there a regional bias at play?—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The nepotism extended to the next generation with Tim McDonnell, John and Chris’ nephew, joining the front office in 2013 as a pro scout.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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In a political environment where there’s a thirst to replace the establishment, being associated with a politician could backfire — and fuel accusations of nepotism.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
26 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Following the money Hinojosa and Bell have tied Abbott’s private-school voucher push to a broader argument about favoritism, arguing the program steers public dollars to mostly Christian schools while benefiting wealthy contributors.—
Karen Brooks Harper,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Jan. 2026
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The letter details other claims of favoritism and disregard for recent board directives to curb spending, like attempting to hire for vacant positions and authorizing overtime expenditures despite the hiring and overtime freeze enacted in the board approved fiscal solvency plan.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cronyism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cronyism. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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