variants
also phoneys
1
as in counterfeits
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
the fancy "emerald" ring turned out to be a phony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fakes
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 forges
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phonies
Noun
-
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 -
Marq Vision was cofounded in 2020 by Mark Lee, a former McKinsey consultant who holds a Doctor of Law from Harvard, to identify counterfeits in online listings using AI.—
Zinnia Lee,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Numerous fakes — most bearing watermarks for OpenAI’s text-to-video model Sora — have appeared online showing fake scenarios like severe flooding, images of sharks and people partying.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Advertisement There were also fakes following the four-day India-Pakistan conflict in May.—
Brady Africk,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
As Taylor Swift’s new album, The Life of a Showgirl, forges an historic first week, its accolades extend to Billboard’s radio charts.—
Gary Trust,
Billboard,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Bettany played English poet and writer Geoffrey Chaucer in the medieval action-comedy, which starred Ledger as William Thatcher, a peasant squire, fueled by his desire for food and glory, who forges a new identity for himself as a knight when his master dies.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Forgeries, hoaxes, and other types of literary fakery have preoccupied Havens, a rare books and manuscripts curator at the university’s Stern Center for the History of the Book, for many years now.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Frauds, swindles, cons, scams, and deceptions — collectively known as hoaxes.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Week 9 of the college football season separated some contenders from pretenders.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The contenders, pretenders and everybody in between.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For a bedding refresh, this duvet cover set is available in 26 colors and includes matching shams.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
-
This three-piece set from Chezmoi Collection includes a bedspread and two matching shams that resist pilling, shrinking, and thinning over time, all while regulating temperature to prevent overheating.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Notice how these two Third World frauds are in federal custody, not state.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
-
In the knee-jerk world of modern football, yesterday’s world-beaters are tomorrow’s frauds.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
To tell the truly venomous from the fakers, there are a couple details to help distinguish the two.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
17 Sep. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Phonies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phonies. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share