PHONY-BALONEY Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

phony-baloney

adjective

ˈfō-nē-bə-ˈlō-nē

variants or phoney-baloney

Definition of phony-baloney

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

Relevance

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

Adjective

The Scarlet Knights ran a fake punt to convert a fourth and 21 for a 44-yard gain that sparked a touchdown drive to close the gap to three points.

— Sean Campbell, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
The products, which sport fake USDA inspection labels, were distributed to grocery stores and restaurants across the United States.

— Julia Hawkins, Idaho Statesman, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of fake

Adjective

Rooms Faraway Sag Harbor has 67 guest rooms and suites, including a handful of lofts with double-height ceilings.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
The brand’s Exceptional Extraits generated more than 25 percent of sales and rose more than 80 percent, while sales from the Essence Collection, from a double-infusion process, were up more than 260 percent.

— Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of double

Adjective

There was another shot, about a meaningless void and sitcoms being the same thing.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026
Hours before the Yankees’ meaningless 9-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, reporters swarmed Anthony Volpe’s locker as he was seen taking grounders at third base.

— James O'Connell, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of meaningless

Adjective

Motley Broom, who has been married to the same man for more than 13 years, said the image of the kiss is phony and AI-generated.

— Reed Williams, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Located in Sachs’ studio at 245 Centre Street, the phony Chanel store has a sign with 31 Rue Cambon on its front door, and a black Chanel-esque ensemble in one street-front window and a red one in the other.

— Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of phony

Adjective

And members of these new churches were mostly not the black-dressed, hypocritical, sour-faced, monocultural figures favored by popular narrative, but often included colorful figures who were sometimes surprisingly modern in their desires.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
There is something deeply hypocritical about discovering and using the language of women’s liberation only when your own status, reputation, or income is at stake.

— Laura Jung, Vogue, 25 Aug. 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

Energy companies might save substantial capital by tapping naturally occurring subterranean structures rather than excavating artificial caverns or modifying depleted reservoirs.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026
Nvidia has the power to do so after the frenzy around its chips used for artificial-intelligence technology helped it more than double the amount of cash on its books in the first half of its fiscal year.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of artificial

Browse Nearby Words

phony

phony-baloney

phonying

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Phony-baloney.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phony-baloney. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of phony-baloney

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

slew

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes