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
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Recent Examples of phony
Andy Andersen, Vulture, 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
For Jake and Vince Friedken, every street corner of New York has been a Devil’s crossroads since the night their dad gave them a pair of phony watches.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 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
-
Methanol is an industrial chemical that can cause nerve and liver damage and is sometimes found in fake or poorly distilled alcohol.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Aside from games like volleyball and dominoes, Gach says some children stage fake ambushes on one another while pretending to be government forces or rebel fighters.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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
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That’s not the only bogus ICE traffic stop police have responded to.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Because the Patriots would go on to score 42 consecutive points before a meaningless touchdown drive by the Panthers in the final minutes, Canales’ head-scratching call the play before Jones’ return has drawn scrutiny.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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The big numbers coming into the Giants’ otherwise meaningless season finale were 163, 217 and 30.—
Evan Webeck,
Mercury News,
29 Sep. 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
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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
-
An entry-level sheet set from the brand will run you a minimum of $500 with the priciest shams ringing in at a cool $5,000.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
26 Sep. 2025
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In another study, people with migraines who used a handheld VNS device (gammaCore) on the side of their neck were significantly more likely to be pain-free within 30 minutes to an hour of VNS, compared to those receiving a sham (placebo) treatment.—
Clarissa Brincat,
Popular Science,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Italian police were tipped off by Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation that some of the Dalí pieces were forged, according to The Associated Press (AP).—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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Breaking with academic tradition, the group forged a modern Indian visual style.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Evaluating defamation claims where the report contains demonstrably false factual assertions.—
Tim Reynolds,
Fortune,
3 Oct. 2025
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However, as several independent experts interviewed by NPR note, that claim is false.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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
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If the tree happened to be on ancestral indigenous land, someone invented racist, pseudo-indigenous fictions to lend the tree an aura of romance.—
Verlyn Klinkenborg,
The New York Review of Books,
2 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Phony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phony. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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