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
Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Warren has some experience with covering over the past as happened when her phony claim of being a blue-eyed Native American Cherokee descendent blew up.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 14 May 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
See All Example Sentences for phony
Adjective
Some of the scams involve fake court documents or notifications about phony traffic or criminal infractions, according to the sheriff's office.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Warren has some experience with covering over the past as happened when her phony claim of being a blue-eyed Native American Cherokee descendent blew up.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 14 May 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
See All Example Sentences for phony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phony
Adjective
-
The counterfeit surgeon was waiting for his Starbucks order at JFK when Port Authority cops caught up with him.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2026
-
Lori Ann Talens, of Virginia Beach, Virgina, used a computer to design, create and produce a wide variety of counterfeit coupons in her Virginia Beach home, according to court documents.—
Charlotte Hazard,
Baltimore Sun,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Public health officials have been preparing for months, said Philadelphia’s Raval-Nelson, including with mock emergency drills and communications with counterparts around the country.—
Lauran Neergaard,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
-
The mock-neck tank pairs effortlessly with jeans, shorts, or skirts, while the floral wide-leg pants can stand on their own with a simple white tee.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Authorities say the operation powered fake websites built to steal credit card numbers, passwords and other personal information.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
-
None of that makes the project fake.—
Gabriel Alin Zainescu,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
The Pepsi-tampering mystery was unraveling today as several claims of objects found in soda cans were pronounced hoaxes.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
17 June 2026
-
False claims about the virus, including that the epidemic was a hoax, have proliferated across the Central African nation, accelerating the spread of the disease in overcrowded displacement camps where hundreds of people often share a toilet, Reuters reported.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Rollins said federal authorities have made 900 arrests for SNAP fraud during the last year and recovered $132 million in restitution.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
-
The future involves building robust connectors between merchant systems and UCP, and developing new solutions for agent identity and fraud detection.—
Josipa Majic Predin,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Among them, the friendship forged by the people of Lawrence and the Algerian team and visitors.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
-
The grief of last summer reverberates beyond the headlines about Heaven’s 27 and the messy social gulf the river forged.—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
According to the department, at the time of the chase, Buban had multiple outstanding arrest warrants against him, including for being a felon in possession of a firearm, taking a vehicle without consent, false impersonation and petty theft.—
Kassia Bonesteel,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
According to Peña, a producer relayed the false information to her through an earpiece during a live broadcast.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Austin Nieves, a recent transplant to the area and the man who had brought this brave group together, broke the strained silence by handing out beers.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Dani provides the voiceover, filled with strained metaphors about earthquakes and sermons on the importance of summer, but the pretense that the dialogue is taken from his interrogation is quickly abandoned.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phony. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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