variants
or phoney-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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of phony-baloney
Namely, their own phony-baloney, six-figure jobs.
—
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 20 Dec. 2025
The script is by David Koepp (writer of the best Mission: Impossible, the 1996 Brian De Palma iteration), and it’s filled with shimmery red herrings and liberal lashings of phony-baloney techno-spy stuff.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 6 Mar. 2025
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 20 Dec. 2025
The script is by David Koepp (writer of the best Mission: Impossible, the 1996 Brian De Palma iteration), and it’s filled with shimmery red herrings and liberal lashings of phony-baloney techno-spy stuff.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 6 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phony-baloney
Adjective
-
Artificial Plants Designer Ashley Hauza says a fake ficus tree on a porch isn't going to fool anyone.—
Tessa Cooper,
The Spruce,
1 May 2026
-
Horrified that there was no way to ensure the images hadn’t left his computer and no path to stop the man from continuing to generate fake nudes, the women joined Maye Quade in advancing the law to shut down the problem at its source.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Player of the Week Senior pitcher Jaelynn Anthony goes 4-for-5 for Oswego with three homers, a double and seven RBIs in 14-6 win over Minooka.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
-
Orangewood Christian swept Deltona Trinity Christian as Tre Roach went 2-for-3 with a double, 2 runs and an RBI for the Rams (23-3), Sam Lambert had 2 hits and 2 RBI, and Addison Lambert added 2 hits, a run and an RBI.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Adjective
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The second happens when the cords of logic break entirely; these patients jump from idea to idea in a meaningless way, and their speech is nonsensical—what doctors call word salad.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
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And at the same time, how meaningless a basketball game actually was in the bigger scheme of things.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Entrupy highlighted the runny nature of phony economics; it shifts focus toward materials that are easier to mimic at high speeds.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The Fair Districts law is a partisan perversion walking around in a phony non-partisan trenchcoat.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Seems extremely hypocritical, no?—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
How hypocritical that of me, Amy, and Gretchen, the only one married is me.—
David Sedaris,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Likewise, lip masks designed to be worn overnight can provide improved hydration and comfort over daytime treatments.—
Caroline Reilly,
Forbes.com,
25 Mar. 2026
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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
Adjective
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The wayward booster was spotted by independent astronomer Bill Gray, who develops and sells software dedicated to tracking celestial objects both artificial and natural.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
1 May 2026
-
That there is no need to fill consciousness at all moments with the artificial urgencies of screens, of emails, of texts, of social media; the real urgencies of the bright-eyed woodpecker above my head will always be vastly more interesting.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Libras can be superficial because the sign is ruled by Venus, which appreciates beauty, as Sarah calls Bonnie out for after her surgery.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
3 May 2026
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Visible to them on the other side of the curtain, separated only by that superficial barrier, was Tim Connelly.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phony-baloney.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phony-baloney. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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