as in frauds
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fools
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of humbugs
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Nov. 2025
Noun
San Diego theaters have lined up a bounty of seasonal stage shows designed to delight even the biggest humbugs.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humbugs
Noun
-
They got exposed as major frauds today.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Satire is brilliant for exposing the folly of humans, especially those in power and those working in bad faith—the hypocrites and the frauds—and can be particularly potent when set in irrational or dystopic times.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Runway, Pika, and a dozen others can produce footage that fools the eye on first watch.—
Sandy Carter,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
What fools these non-OpenAI mortals must be.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Maclean’s work traffics in deep fakes and glitch aesthetics, rainbow cuteness and the tropes of pulp—but these are set against violent dystopias and a world of cruelties borne, especially, by women (see her 2018 video Make Me Up as an example).—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Thirty-four years having passed since the last go-round, we are treated to such modern advances as catfishing, drones, deep fakes, social media and pushy true-crime podcasters.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Removing fading flowers and their seed pods tricks the plant to redirect its energy from producing seeds to producing more scapes and flower buds, as well as putting energy into root development and storing energy for the next growing season.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
3 June 2026
-
Hassabis doesn’t claim to have any of the usual biotech tricks up his sleeve, like proprietary datasets.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
The five-piece set includes a quilt and four pillow shams, all made from ultra-soft, skin-friendly microfiber designed for year-round use.—
Better Homes & Gardens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 June 2026
-
Shop deals on scalloped duvets and sheets, fringe shams, patchwork quilts, floral sheets, and more.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Discernment in separating potential winners from the pretenders is a positive, if sometimes manic and messy, process.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
10 Nov. 2025
-
As the difference between contenders and pretenders becomes clearer each week, the Seahawks took a significant step Sunday toward cementing themselves as a team to be reckoned with down the line.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
No matter the party affiliation, there’ll be charlatans claiming to care, while smooth-talking their way into the homes of hard-working people who struggle.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Humbugs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humbugs. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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