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
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 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
-
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
-
Notice how these two Third World frauds are in federal custody, not state.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Today, the same fakes can be flagged using AI developed by a company called N2N Services, said Claudia Lee, Golden West College’s vice president of student services.—
Jaweed Kaleem,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Jan. 2026
-
Morrisseau’s work, in particular, was the focus of what is believed to be the largest forgery ring of all time, in which several thousand fakes were illegitimately authenticated and sold around the world.—
Benjamin Cannon,
The Atlantic,
23 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Mulching too early traps heat and tricks plant roots to remain active and produce new growth.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
-
An unexpected, shocking tax bill owed after a scammer tricks you into draining a retirement fund to hand over your money to them.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The shams zip completely closed, so there’s no shifting or falling out of the case.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Dec. 2025
-
This brand also offers a variety of contrasting shams, extra monograms, and even matching duvet covers.—
Nora Taylor,
Architectural Digest,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Week 10 kicked off the month with several examples of contenders and pretenders revealing themselves.—
Erick Smith,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Week 9 of the college football season separated some contenders from pretenders.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
First up was Ben Shapiro, who described Tucker Carlson and others as grifters and charlatans, guilty of misleading their audiences with falsehoods and conspiracy theories.—
Jonathan J. Cooper,
Fortune,
19 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Humbugs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humbugs. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share