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
-
Lan, 69, built a sprawling real estate empire of luxury homes and commercial properties before she was accused of one of the biggest frauds in global history.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
-
Bankman-Fried was convicted of masterminding one of the largest financial frauds in history stemming from the collapse of the crypto-exchange FTX.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
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
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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
-
Well, at least Cindy's been fighting the good fight, which Brenda tricks her into waging alone every time.—
Entertainment Weekly,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The set also comes with two matching pillow shams for a cohesive look.—
Melody Kazel,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
-
The matching shams have an envelope closure to stay put, and the duvet cover has a button closure with corner ties inside to keep your favorite duvet securely in place all night.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
14 June 2026
Verb
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The complaint also claims that the image deceives customers into thinking Lipa has endorsed the product and dilutes her brand identity.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
-
The fragmentary Ni 12501 tablet from the Early Dynastic III period of Mesopotamia breaks off when Fox deceives the inhabitants of the netherworld in his quest to retrieve the storm god Ishkur.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Now, hardship seems to be an end in itself, a battle scar or badge of honor that distinguishes true backpackers from mere pretenders.—
Tim Brinkhof,
Time,
4 May 2026
-
This is where hype turns into hard numbers, and contenders start getting separated from pretenders.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Others estimate that $500 billion in federal spending is diverted by charlatans each year.—
Las Vegas Review-Journal,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
-
The 21st century’s obstacles for young men—as seen in deaths of despair and lagging employment—have been amply publicized both by credible journalists and by charlatans such as Fuentes.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Humbugs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humbugs. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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