variants
also phoney
1
as in fake
being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud
a phony watch with a designer logo
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bogus
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
she always has this phony smile just before she betrays you
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in meaningless
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
her concern for our welfare is as phony as all get-out—she just wants to know our business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also phoney
1
as in counterfeit
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
the fancy "emerald" ring turned out to be a phony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sham
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
the person who performed the liposuction operation was later discovered to be a phony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to fake
to imitate or copy especially in order to deceive
the terrorists were able to move around the country using phonied driver's licenses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of phony
Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2025
Scammers are trying to use the San Diego Superior Court to bilk people out of money with fraudulent court orders and other fake court documents, prompting court officials to warn the public to carefully scrutinize these phony requests for cash.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2025
Nick Caruso, TVLine, 10 July 2025
The movie lacks a lot of Shepherd’s biting sarcasm and cynicism, because this book does pine for the good old days while also pointing out how adults then, and now, are a bunch of phonies.
—Brian Boone, Vulture, 18 June 2025
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2024
In fact, legislators and regulators are rolling back regulations designed to protect investors, who in this case are estimated to have lost $100 billion to phony Chinese firms.
—Gary Thompson, Philly.com, 29 Mar. 2018
See All Example Sentences for phony
Adjective
Wells Fargo and its shareholders agreed to settle a federal class-action lawsuit alleging the bank misrepresented its diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring initiatives by holding phony job interviews.
—Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2025
Scammers are trying to use the San Diego Superior Court to bilk people out of money with fraudulent court orders and other fake court documents, prompting court officials to warn the public to carefully scrutinize these phony requests for cash.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
The second batch of players then play a comp to find the missing relic amid a sea of phonies.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 10 July 2025
The movie lacks a lot of Shepherd’s biting sarcasm and cynicism, because this book does pine for the good old days while also pointing out how adults then, and now, are a bunch of phonies.
—Brian Boone, Vulture, 18 June 2025
Verb
What constitutes the crime is to phony up business accounting records to disguise the payments.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2024
In fact, legislators and regulators are rolling back regulations designed to protect investors, who in this case are estimated to have lost $100 billion to phony Chinese firms.
—Gary Thompson, Philly.com, 29 Mar. 2018
See All Example Sentences for phony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phony
Adjective
-
In a world where fake medical implants, counterfeit microchips, and cloned devices can threaten lives, money, and security, proving that a physical object is truly genuine is a major challenge.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Oct. 2025
-
The Broncos also were successful on a fake punt in the fourth quarter.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Epstein insisted the new claims against him were bogus.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Those bogus statistics are a good reminder that people can be brilliant technologists, while also being inept education reformers.—
Justin Reich,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Mainstream rap nowadays is suffocating from meaningless rivalries, subliminal shots for stans to decode and misinterpret, and redundant talk of who’s really in the streets and who’s snitching.—
Mosi Reeves,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
-
What affected me most in Lahiri’s story was the sense of time passing, the way our obsessions seem meaningless in the aftermath of tragic events (or, rather, from the larger vantage point of a life).—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The crime drama follows a small-time Chinatown luxury counterfeit dealer who enters a dangerous black-market underworld in order to fund a life of suburban respectability for her family.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
25 Sep. 2025
-
While fake goods have exchanged hands in informal markets since ancient times, the growth of online marketplaces has contributed to the rise in counterfeits because of how easy online shopping and selling have become.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,Paige Tortorelli,
CNBC,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The complete set comes with a cozy bedspread and two matching pillow shams to match.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Oct. 2025
-
This sheet set also comes with shams, all made from cotton percale for a cool, crisp sleep year-round.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
What would be the reason to forge Dead Sea Scrolls or create the apocryphal Book of Judith.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
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But Delhi will continue to try to thread the needle between these concerns and its desire to forge closer regional partnerships at Pakistan’s expense.—
Happymon Jacob,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Tesla is still fighting a false advertising lawsuit from California's DMV.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
18 Oct. 2025
-
And that’s really false advertising.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Gadjovich went pseudo-viral following Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final last season, a 6-1 Panthers win over the Edmonton Oilers, following a full line brawl in the third period capped by a lengthy fight between Gadjovich and the Oilers’ Darnell Nurse.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Many of the individual works are stellar, but the theme is so baggy as to be meaningless, and the wall labels have a rote, pseudo-academic quality.—
Sebastian Smee,
Washington Post,
14 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Phony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phony. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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