phonies 1 of 2

noun

variants also phoneys
plural of phony
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in frauds
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

phonies

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of phony
as in fakes
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 phonies
Noun
Just as Moby-Dick is canonically about whales, Catcher is canonically about phonies. — Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026 At Dodger Stadium at the end of April, Crow-Amstrong also had to deal with the consequences of his actions — ripping Los Angeles Dodgers fans for being phonies in a Chicago magazine article that went viral. — Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phonies
  1. counterfeits
  2. frauds
  3. fakes
  4. hoaxes
  5. pretenders
  6. forges
  7. copies
  8. shams
Noun
  • The European Commission previously said AliExpress breached its obligations under the DSA, which required it to diligently assess and mitigate the risks of counterfeits.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 22 July 2026
  • Masherah also emphasized keeping Jordan with Upper Deck provides collectors a safe place to acquire authenticated Jordan autographed memorabilia when there are so many fakes and counterfeits floating around.
    — Larry Holder, New York Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of counterfeits
Noun
  • Their only inheritance is a legacy of two-bit crime that inspires them to run increasingly audacious frauds.
    — Joe Otterson, Variety, 15 July 2026
  • Lowry, in the meantime, would embark on a two-decade career in a league that spits out frauds on the regular.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
Definition of frauds
Verb
  • When Bella unexpectedly dies, Ricky fakes his own death and runs off into the woods, forcing Hector to track him down.
    — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 13 July 2026
  • Many fans found the finale of the original Dexter series, wherein Dexter fakes his own death and disappears in Oregon, unsatisfying.
    — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 June 2026
Definition of fakes
Noun
  • By probing his triple role as author, anthropologist and cult leader, the book asks why Americans hunger for seductive spiritual hoaxes.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2026
  • The dishonest duo got rich from their deception, but in the age of AI slop, there is a certain charm to analogue hoaxes such as these.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 18 June 2026
Definition of hoaxes
Noun
  • Now, hardship seems to be an end in itself, a battle scar or badge of honor that distinguishes true backpackers from mere pretenders.
    — Tim Brinkhof, Time, 4 May 2026
  • This is where hype turns into hard numbers, and contenders start getting separated from pretenders.
    — Geoff Clark OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
Definition of pretenders
Verb
  • As the administration forges ahead with its immigration enforcement campaign, former ICE officials and policing experts warned that resuming vehicle stops without a thorough review of training or tactics could lead to more violent encounters.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 17 July 2026
  • Motherhood, sexuality, family, fame… every band member forges her own path in refreshingly disparate ways rarely shown on television.
    — Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 2 July 2026
Definition of forges
Noun
  • With over 6 million copies in print, Ace’s editions of the series have landed on the New York Times bestseller list for a total of 115+ weeks.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 23 July 2026
  • Anthropic also purchased millions of print copies in bulk, stripped the books’ bindings and made scanned digital copies that were used to train Claude.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Definition of copies
Noun
  • Treat it as the foundation for a beautifully layered bed or add the matching pillow shams to streamline the look.
    — Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 17 July 2026
  • Not washing your duvet cover (and shams, if applicable) in a dedicated load.
    — Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 14 July 2026
Definition of shams

Browse Nearby Words

phonied
phonies
phoning
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Cite this Entry

“Phonies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phonies. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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