1
as in hoax
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
tests showed that the "old" map of America was a cleverly made humbug
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
those UFO stories are a lot of humbug
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3
as in fraud
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
one humbug after another claimed to be the miraculously surviving daughter of the Russian czar
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as in to fool
to cause to believe what is untrue
humbugged into believing that the bones were the skeleton of a prehistoric human being
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as in nuts
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
a lot of humbuggery about a mean old witch that lives in the woods
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of humbug
Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Dec. 2023
Mean One features David Howard Thornton, known for playing Art the Clown in the Terrifier movies, as a familiar-looking green-skinned humbug in a Santa suit, living on a mountain high above the small town town of Newville.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 July 2023
Elizabeth Wolfe and Douglas S. Wood, CNN, 21 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for humbug
Noun
Plump four-poster beds are covered in rich floral fabrics or set against wallpaper patterned like humbugs.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Dec. 2023
Mean One features David Howard Thornton, known for playing Art the Clown in the Terrifier movies, as a familiar-looking green-skinned humbug in a Santa suit, living on a mountain high above the small town town of Newville.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 July 2023
Verb
In its verb form, to be humbugged is to be deceived or be the victim of a hoax.
—Elizabeth Wolfe and Douglas S. Wood, CNN, 21 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for humbug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humbug
Verb
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Prosecutors told the court the scheme had raised at least $650 million and called it a classic Ponzi structure that fooled even Horwitz’s closest friends.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
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Don’t let their elegant fancy-restaurant flavors fool you.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In other words, the top search results aren't always safe, and that's exactly how scammers trick people.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Sep. 2025
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But the content, murky and misleading, is designed to trick Californians into voting for a power grab.—
Laura Koval,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The lawsuit, filed by the FTC in June 2023 under the Biden administration, claimed that Amazon deceived tens of millions of customers into signing up for its Prime subscription program and sabotaged their attempts to cancel it.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
25 Sep. 2025
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At its worst, AI can be used by bad actors and content farms to confuse or deceive listeners, push ‘slop’ into the ecosystem, and interfere with authentic artists working to build their careers.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Humbug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humbug. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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