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 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
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
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Recent Examples of phonies
Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
The men who flocked to spring training sites were called scabs, cast as anti-union phonies.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phonies
Noun
-
Its expert team enforces strict production rules, promotes the brand globally, fights counterfeits and certifies every wheel.—
Antonia Mortensen,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
-
Greece, home to an extensive repository of cultural artifacts, has long contended with the proliferation of counterfeits and the looting of archaeological sites.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Man Who Stole Portugal is inspired by the titular true crime book by Murray Teigh Bloom about Alves dos Reis, who pulled off one of the largest frauds in history against the Bank of Portugal in 1925.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
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Four artworks recovered from the 1MDB scandal have gone on public view in Malaysia for the first time, offering a modest but pointed reminder of one of the largest financial frauds in modern history.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Jenna Ushkowitz was a Spring Awakening costar of Lea Michele's when Ryan Murphy cast her to play the one-time goth Tina, who fakes a stutter to stand out at school.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Returning the favor Kitty did for her earlier in Season 3 by visiting her in New York during a turbulent time with her longtime boyfriend Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), Kitty’s older sister Lara Jean (Lana Condor) fakes norovirus to fly to Seoul and take care of Kitty post-Chuseok chaos.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Over a recent five-year span, 4% of Amber Alerts nationwide were determined to be hoaxes, where people intentionally misled law enforcement.—
Andrea Lucia,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, has also been the subject of death hoaxes in the past, including in 2018, when a fake article reporting his death circulated online.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This is where hype turns into hard numbers, and contenders start getting separated from pretenders.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
These two pretenders reflect an insider debate whose subject is not the existence of the Islamic Republic but the best method of its survival.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The color forges a deep connection with nature that simultaneously relaxes and energizes.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The three eventually work out their differences but not before Edgar turns Miles’s proto-smart-home devices against him, cancels his credit cards, and forges a criminal record for him.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the month following the March 2 vote on the $6 billion tax breaks, more than 100 residents circulated copies of a petition seeking to bring the financing plan to a public vote.—
Ilana Arougheti
Updated April 28,
Kansas City Star,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Moby-Dick initially sold fewer than four thousand copies, of which six hundred were in the United Kingdom.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Use the matching shams with the same color as the quilt facing out for a cohesive design, or mix and match the shams and quilt for a layered look with dimension.—
Caley Sturgill,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Etched with a cheery blue bouquet pattern on a soft yellow background, the comforter and matching shams give any room a spring makeover.—
Tanya Sharma,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phonies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phonies. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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