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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
As Rolling Stone has previously reported, bogus images of classic rockers in hospitals or singing at the graves of other rockers have flooded the internet — fooling some fans in the process and provoking laughs in just as many.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Ultimately, the quarterback fooled the Raiders and proceeded to take the snap and get the Chiefs a first down.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Maybe not that play exactly, just the fact USC would try to trick Notre Dame because the Trojans weren’t going to beat them conventionally.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Poor Rosemary is tricked by those closest to her through what is quite literally a hellish pregnancy, culminating in an unforgettable ending and an enduring performance from a wide-eyed Farrow.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Despite being deceived, Stone, who dated Garfield for four years, conceded that the actor's dedication to the secret was honorable.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Oct. 2025
-
That’s 14 years of dreaming, dissolving, romanticizing, escaping, and sometimes deceiving ourselves.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Humbug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humbug. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share