PHONIES Synonyms: 95 Similar and Opposite Words

phonies 1 of 2

noun

variants also phoneys

plural of phony

as in counterfeits

an imitation that is passed off as genuine the fancy "emerald" ring turned out to be a phony

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

originals

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

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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

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

Philly may be shedding its second-fiddle status, but it remains entirely repulsed by frauds and underachievers.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
Focus Your Defenses Where The Risk Is Highest Many of today's biggest frauds begin with an email, an invoice or a payment request that looks completely legitimate.

— Mark Beare, Forbes.com, 23 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

Training for business leaders forges a body, mind, and spirit prepared for whatever challenge comes next.

— Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
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

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

Thoughtful details like precision stitching and rounded corners help keep the lightweight fill evenly in place, while the matching shams feature discrete overlap closures with charming scalloped trim.

— Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 July 2026
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

Definition of shams

Browse Nearby Words

phonied

phonies

phoning

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Style

“Phonies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phonies. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of phonies

noun

verb

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