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
James Boyd, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
Noun
This is the part of the season when the real teams separate themselves from the phonies, and right now the Colts look fraudulent.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phonies
Noun
-
Do carve out a spot for the Mongkok market, with its colorful juxtaposition of souvenirs, food, fashions — beware of counterfeits, though — with live fish and even birds.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
24 Nov. 2025
-
Safe handling and charging are indeed crucial, but what’s even more important is trying to keep counterfeits out of the supply chain.—
Andrew Moseman,
IEEE Spectrum,
22 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Satire is brilliant for exposing the folly of humans, especially those in power and those working in bad faith—the hypocrites and the frauds—and can be particularly potent when set in irrational or dystopic times.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Notice how these two Third World frauds are in federal custody, not state.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Brunson fakes the swing to the right corner, blows past VJ Edgecombe, gets both feet into the paint, draws two defenders and finds OG Anunoby in the left corner.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
4 Jan. 2026
-
Its dialogue and scenes — including one in Katz’s Delicatessen where Ryan fakes an orgasm — continue to permeate pop culture, with Crystal and Ryan reuniting for a Super Bowl commercial based on the scene last year.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
17 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The Los Angeles Times reported that similar threats in multiple states, including Georgia, were traced to Russian domains and labeled politically disruptive hoaxes.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
18 Nov. 2025
-
In addition to the various homecoming shootings on HBCU campuses, several schools have fallen victim to swatting hoaxes aiming to foster confusion and chaos among the community.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Week 10 kicked off the month with several examples of contenders and pretenders revealing themselves.—
Erick Smith,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Week 9 of the college football season separated some contenders from pretenders.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Thad Cisneros is the chief of the Proud Boys’ Salt Lake City chapter who forges an unusual alliance with a Black Lives Matter activist.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Rain won't stop proceedings as the Tournament of Roses forges ahead with the New Year's Day tradition Thursday — its first wet parade in two decades.—
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The film’s star, Whitney Houston, would deliver a version that became the world’s best-selling single that year, shifting some 25 million copies, and winning several Grammys.—
Bob Mehr,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The commentator George Weigel wrote a short book outlining the qualities conservatives wanted in the next Pope, and, in 2020, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, arranged for copies to be sent to all the cardinals who were expected to vote in the next conclave.—
Paul Elie,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The shams zip completely closed, so there’s no shifting or falling out of the case.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Dec. 2025
-
This brand also offers a variety of contrasting shams, extra monograms, and even matching duvet covers.—
Nora Taylor,
Architectural Digest,
29 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Phonies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phonies. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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