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
Think of the major alternatives, which include popularity, wealth, cronyism, nepotism or a lottery system.
—
Kenji Yoshino, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
Public trust in the justice system is eroded when political cronyism is rewarded over fairness, when accountability is resisted, and when devastating errors are defended instead of confronted.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
Since state jobs are won through cronyism and bribery, livelihoods were also at stake.
—Nabil Salih, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
But over time, they themselves have been overtaken by misconduct, cronyism, and excess, especially after the leading proxy advisory firms continually traded hands between a rotating cast of conflicted foreign buyers and private equity firms.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cronyism
Kenji Yoshino, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
Public trust in the justice system is eroded when political cronyism is rewarded over fairness, when accountability is resisted, and when devastating errors are defended instead of confronted.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
Since state jobs are won through cronyism and bribery, livelihoods were also at stake.
—Nabil Salih, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
But over time, they themselves have been overtaken by misconduct, cronyism, and excess, especially after the leading proxy advisory firms continually traded hands between a rotating cast of conflicted foreign buyers and private equity firms.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cronyism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cronyism
Noun
-
The complaint was dismissed with prejudice.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
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The case was settled out of court last year after FKA Twigs dropped the lawsuit with prejudice.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Judge continues weighing fairness issues, including whether to allow courtroom video footage and cameras amid defense concerns about media bias.—
Hannah Schoenbaum,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
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The team excluded studies with evidence of bias, such as those that didn’t follow study participants for very long or disclose pregnant women’s health histories.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There have also been accusations of nepotism.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Later that year, the National Labor Relations board received an anonymous complaint from current and former MLBPA staff and members, which alleged multiple forms of corruption by Clark and the union, including nepotism, misuse of resources, and abuse of power.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Maps would prioritize population equality, compactness, contiguity, and communities of interest, with no favoritism toward incumbents.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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The Bediako case is a nice counterexample to the favoritism argument; the first judge stepped aside when his relationship with the university, or at least the coverage and commentary surrounding it, was too close-knit to be ignored, and the second judge ruled against his alma mater.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cronyism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cronyism. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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