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
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
Probation Commissioner Juanita Holmes received a dressing down Tuesday from First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro over her leadership of the agency, which is coming under mounting scrutiny amid allegations of cronyism and mismanagement, the Daily News has learned.
—Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2025
The metastasizing litigation now pits an outgoing mayor with waning popularity against a feisty city council and state officials including the attorney general, with both sides slinging accusations of cronyism.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cronyism
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
Probation Commissioner Juanita Holmes received a dressing down Tuesday from First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro over her leadership of the agency, which is coming under mounting scrutiny amid allegations of cronyism and mismanagement, the Daily News has learned.
—Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2025
The metastasizing litigation now pits an outgoing mayor with waning popularity against a feisty city council and state officials including the attorney general, with both sides slinging accusations of cronyism.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cronyism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cronyism
Noun
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Oklahoma Indian Territory who defied poverty and prejudice to become one of America’s first Black female millionaires — at just 11 years old.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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And, as Politico observed, his critics are poised to define him not by policy but by identity—testing whether the city that elected its first Muslim mayor will judge him by his performance or by prejudice.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Despite admitting mistakes, Turness hit back at claims of deliberate bias.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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Likewise, studies on shapes have been shown to bring about both joy and bias, depending on the emotions that stem from early developments in childhood.—
Daniel Fusch,
Ascend Agency,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Van Halen also mentioned Jack Quaid, the son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, while talking about nepotism.—
Sarah Sotoodeh,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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Wright previously faced an ethics investigation for nepotism in hiring his own son as a deputy, which is against state law, and allegedly used his force's helicopter for flights that had no work- related purposes, according to local reporting.—
Mason Leath,
ABC News,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Is the pay bump a result of favoritism?—
Emily Nix,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
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The issues come during a notably eventful DWTS season, with controversies surrounding contestant exits, accusations of favoritism and social media conflicts already drawing widespread attention.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cronyism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cronyism. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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