variants
also phoney
1
as in counterfeit
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 mock
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 fake
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 hoax
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 fraud
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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of phony
Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Caught quoting lines of a phony Bible passage from Pulp Fiction as scripture Wednesday during a Pentagon ceremony, the former Fox News host has become even more of a piñata to political foes than ever.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
Which, of course, is what happens on newspapers and that’s why all these things sound so phoney.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for phony
Adjective
The phony bear suit that was used in the insurance scam.
—Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Caught quoting lines of a phony Bible passage from Pulp Fiction as scripture Wednesday during a Pentagon ceremony, the former Fox News host has become even more of a piñata to political foes than ever.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
In retaliation, Sir Jimmy outs Kelson as a phony with a fatal stab to the gut, though that’s not enough to save his own life.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
Which, of course, is what happens on newspapers and that’s why all these things sound so phoney.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 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
See All Example Sentences for phony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phony
Adjective
-
The company has built a large-scale reference library of authentic, altered and counterfeit cards to train machine learning systems that flag irregularities during grading.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
-
With demand running high, counterfeit versions have flooded the market, and the company is urging shoppers to be careful.—
Samantha Agate,
Sacbee.com,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
The sprawling 85-acre facility used to train Atlanta’s police and firefighters includes a mock gas station, a train track with several rail cars, a firehouse, a horse stable, a seven-story burn tower and a 28-lane indoor shooting range.—
Shaddi Abusaid,
AJC.com,
12 May 2026
-
Adding the appropriate gothic touch to this Debra Hill production are John Lloyd’s dripping-with-mock-Victorian-splendor sets and John Morris’ delightfully tongue-in-cheek score.—
Kirk Ellis,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Ferro was arrested in May 2025 and found in possession of two firearms and a fake ID.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
One tweet features an AI cover of a fake Slayr album called BURGERMAN that imagines him as a half-burger, half-human hybrid engulfed in a hellish flood of grease and cheese splatter.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Then there’s blocking the release of the Epstein files and unilaterally spending hundreds of millions on monuments to himself and billions on his personal war with Iran, while calling the issue of affordability a hoax.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
2 May 2026
-
Infowars is facing liquidation because of the more than $1 billion in defamation lawsuit judgments Jones owes relatives of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting for calling the massacre a hoax.—
Jim Vertuno,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Cerner is not aware of identity theft or fraud related to Atrium Health patient data.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
8 May 2026
-
The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office on Thursday charged Brian Ramos, 25, of Edina, the owner of a roofing subcontractor known as Liminis Remodeling and Exteriors with two felony counts of worker’s compensation insurance premium fraud.—
Kristi Miller,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The documents were later found to be forged.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
During the war in Iran, Ukraine has capitalized on innovations forged by the country's military and defense contractors over more than four years of grueling conflict with Russia.—
Aidan Stretch,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
The question of true or false became a sensation in 1967 with the famous film shot by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin in the Pacific Northwest, capturing a hairy figure ambling through a Northern California wood.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
-
But with few details to go on, the question is whether this moment marks a genuine breakthrough, or just another false dawn.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The 29-year-old, who lives in Texas, sustained a concussion and strained muscles in her ankle and neck.—
Mara H. Gottfried,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
-
While the Chinese model reduces upfront budget pressures on fiscally-strained African states, governments across the continent will now rely heavily on a small number of firms for hardware maintenance, modernization, and training.—
Alexis Akwagyiram,
semafor.com,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phony. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
