phony-baloney

adjective

ˈfō-nē-bə-ˈlō-nē How to pronounce phony-baloney (audio)
variants or phoney-baloney
Definition of phony-baloneynext
as in fake
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express if you believe the company's phony-baloney press releases, it's in business solely for the benefit of mankind

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 phony-baloney Namely, their own phony-baloney, six-figure jobs. — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 20 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phony-baloney
  1. fake
  2. double
  3. meaningless
  4. phony
  5. hypocritical
  6. lip
  7. artificial
  8. superficial
Adjective
  • Ify’s box contains a fake $100 bill, but Catherine decides to keep her box.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 July 2026
  • Judges around the country have seen a rise in threats of violence and intimidation, including a fake swatting call to police about Barrett’s home in May.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
Definition of fake
Adjective
  • If Messi is the main focus of England’s attention, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has to contend with the double threat of Bellingham and Kane.
    — James Robson, AJC.com, 15 July 2026
  • Blorian, 26, captained Hapoel Be’er Sheva to an Israeli cup and league-title double last season.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 15 July 2026
Definition of double
Adjective
  • One sure focus is the rampant grade inflation that exaggerates student achievement and has made graduating high school close to meaningless as an indicator of college preparedness.
    — U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2026
  • This distinction between meaningful and meaningless data evokes signal versus noise, a communication concept formulated by the mathematician Claude Shannon.
    — Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of meaningless
Adjective
  • The great secret of Catcher, though—what gets lost in its reputation—is that Holden’s attitude is itself phony.
    — Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
  • Often scammers will create phony, but very legitimate appearing domain names.
    — Steve Weisman, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of phony
Adjective
  • Or means that any comments are supposedly hypocritical.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026
  • Earlier this month, Matsui’s campaign came after Vang for taking corporate donations from Sacramento-area businesses during her city council campaigns, implying that Vang’s vows to not accept money from corporate PACs in her congressional bid is hypocritical.
    — Mathew Miranda June 4, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2026
Definition of hypocritical
Adjective
  • Likewise, lip masks designed to be worn overnight can provide improved hydration and comfort over daytime treatments.
    — Caroline Reilly, Forbes.com, 25 Mar. 2026
  • On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tatianna points to cinnamon as a conductor of heat—one commonly used in lip plumper products to achieve a sultry pout.
    — Essence, Essence, 23 Nov. 2025
Definition of lip
Adjective
  • Controversial space mirror satellite Not everyone is looking forward to artificial daylight.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026
  • Players had the run of the place on real grass, not the artificial turf in place for NFL games.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of artificial
Adjective
  • Ferrell, Henchy and David Gordon Green all previously worked on Eastbound & Down, a sports comeback series with enough superficial similarities to underline how toothless The Hawk and especially its characters are.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026
  • Screenings are inconsistent or superficial, resulting in a lack of follow-up for people with problematic drinking.
    — Isabella Cueto, STAT, 14 July 2026
Definition of superficial

Browse Nearby Words

phony
phony-baloney
phonying
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Phony-baloney.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phony-baloney. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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