variants
also phoney
1
as in counterfeit
being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud
a phony watch with a designer logo
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
she always has this phony smile just before she betrays you
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fake
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
her concern for our welfare is as phony as all get-out—she just wants to know our business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also phoney
1
as in hoax
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
the fancy "emerald" ring turned out to be a phony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fraud
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 to fake
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
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Recent Examples of phony
Bob Strauss, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Mar. 2026
The movie makes no secret of its phony mechanics.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
Which, of course, is what happens on newspapers and that’s why all these things sound so phoney.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2024
In fact, legislators and regulators are rolling back regulations designed to protect investors, who in this case are estimated to have lost $100 billion to phony Chinese firms.
—Gary Thompson, Philly.com, 29 Mar. 2018
See All Example Sentences for phony
Adjective
Even when a growingly desperate Jacob seeks refuge in visionary rationalizations, Van Der Beek plays it with psychological veracity rather than frothing, phony divine madness.
—Bob Strauss, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Mar. 2026
The movie makes no secret of its phony mechanics.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Noun
In retaliation, Sir Jimmy outs Kelson as a phony with a fatal stab to the gut, though that’s not enough to save his own life.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
Which, of course, is what happens on newspapers and that’s why all these things sound so phoney.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
What constitutes the crime is to phony up business accounting records to disguise the payments.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2024
In fact, legislators and regulators are rolling back regulations designed to protect investors, who in this case are estimated to have lost $100 billion to phony Chinese firms.
—Gary Thompson, Philly.com, 29 Mar. 2018
See All Example Sentences for phony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phony
Adjective
-
Edwards would set aside coins that couldn't be cashed — including foreign or counterfeit currency — and take them home.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
But the story wasn't done, and the creators have returned with a full-on movie, set during World War II, with the Nazis using counterfeit money to destabilize England's economy.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In his new mock draft, Miller has the Bills picking up a key weapon.—
Andrew McCarty,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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In addition to the original trunk and items on display, the Center for Sacramento History and the history museum created a mock trunk inspired by the original for school programs throughout the region.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Obama recently teamed up with NBA All-Star Anthony Edwards to squash their fake beef while promoting his Obama Presidential Center opening June 19 in Chicago.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The studio put an ad in The Boston Globe in December that looked like a fake engagement announcement.—
Saba Hamedy,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Although investigators received many tips, some were hoaxes and others didn’t lead to any developments.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Some conservatives, Franz admitted, were even claiming that climate change was a Chinese hoax.—
Gaby Del Valle,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The leader of the Ex-Slave Pension Association was later imprisoned on mail fraud charges, and the organization faded away, while the Eagles became one of the pressure groups that eventually led to Social Security.—
Trevor Jackson,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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At first, the attention became so intense that Bravo was removed from the televisions inside the minimum-security camp, where Shah was serving her sentence for her role in a nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For example, a Republican Party activist in The Villages in Central Florida was charged in 2023 with forging his father’s signature on a mail ballot in the 2020 election after his father had died.—
ORLANDO SENTINEL AND MIAMI HERALD EDITORIAL BOARDS,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
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Faced with being iced out by its biggest trading partner, Canada has since forged strategic partnerships with countries across the globe, including China, much to Trump’s chagrin.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Five of the cases involved hospice care facilities in several cities across Los Angeles County that submitted false claims to Medicare for patients who were not terminally ill and were not eligible for services, prosecutors said.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
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This means that precious time was likely lost at the beginning as police investigated a lead that was based on false assumptions.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Fuel subsidies threaten to blow a hole in Jakarta’s already strained budget.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
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Data centers have sparked backlash from communities across the state that are worried about higher utility bills, strained power grids and water being diverted away from families to cool servers at massive data centers.—
Brendan Steinhauser,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phony. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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