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
But even where governments did embrace reforms, cronyism and corruption ensured that protectionism endured.
—
Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
Musk had pushed to install his friend Jared Isaacman as head of the agency—a move that stank of cronyism.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2025
The filing comes days after four high-ranking former New York City police officials filed a separate suit alleging that Adams doled out patronage promotions and a culture of cronyism in the NYPD, according to the Associated Press.
—James Powel, USA Today, 17 July 2025
An American charity that has raised hundreds of millions of dollars by promising to meet the emergency needs of Israeli soldiers after the war in Gaza broke out is now facing internal turmoil over allegations of financial mismanagement, cronyism, and a toxic workplace culture.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cronyism
Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
Musk had pushed to install his friend Jared Isaacman as head of the agency—a move that stank of cronyism.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2025
The filing comes days after four high-ranking former New York City police officials filed a separate suit alleging that Adams doled out patronage promotions and a culture of cronyism in the NYPD, according to the Associated Press.
—James Powel, USA Today, 17 July 2025
An American charity that has raised hundreds of millions of dollars by promising to meet the emergency needs of Israeli soldiers after the war in Gaza broke out is now facing internal turmoil over allegations of financial mismanagement, cronyism, and a toxic workplace culture.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cronyism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cronyism
Noun
-
With any luck, it will someday be reversed, like other famous examples of Supreme Court decisions that reflected prejudice against African-Americans, Japanese-Americans, and others.—
Noah Feldman,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
-
This sensual, swoon-worthy drama dares to imagine love thriving where prejudice prevails.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In that vacuum, Republicans have often ascribed political bias as the motivation without providing concrete evidence to back it up, said Stevenson, the debanking expert.—
Jake Pearson,
ProPublica,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The state alleges Alam intentionally selected the church primarily because of his bias or prejudice against the state of Israel or the Jewish faith.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Political nepotism perpetuates the recycling of the same leaders, leaving young people without representation or a voice in governance.—
Sonal Nain,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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The fact that Montreal’s defining MLS traits have been impatience and inconsistency give fans every reason to suspect incompetence until proven otherwise even without the bright red flashing light of supposed nepotism.—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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These licensing waivers are lawful in themselves, but Drake’s lawsuit claims they were weaponized for competitive advantage, raising questions about transparency, favoritism and whether artists outside the major label system can ever truly compete on equal footing.—
Jared Brenner,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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During Thursday’s hearing, Senate Democrats noted the White House’s apparent favoritism toward Kennedy.—
Nathaniel Weixel,
The Hill,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cronyism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cronyism. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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