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
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
Now, of course, Proctor wants his phony-baloney MSP job back.
—
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 24 Sep. 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, 24 Sep. 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
-
Ryan Scully scored on a 44-yard fake punt and Ethan Polloreno returned an interception for a score.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Instead, the Pack ran a laughably bad fake-kick play — on fourth-and-17, no less.—
Jim Keyser,
Idaho Statesman,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The indictment also accused the men of purchasing the counterfeit prescription drugs without proper paperwork, known as T3s/pedigrees, and reselling them to pharmacy customers.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Sophia Haley Marks, 20, was previously charged in 2023 after allegedly directly selling De Niro Rodriguez counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The pop of color offers a shimmer-free (rare!) means of warming up a wedding look and works equally well at lip level.—
Calin Van Paris,
Vogue,
12 Aug. 2025
-
By After Testing Over 30 Best Sellers By Siena Gagliano Unlike balms, which can make lip color slide around, a primer locks it in while keeping lips soft and comfortable.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The building’s 75 units offer a slew of swanky amenities, including a double-height lobby, 24-hour concierge, fitness and yoga facilities, a residents’ lounge, landscaped courtyard, and rooftop terrace.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Nespresso Cafecito de Puerto Rico Pods Perfect for strong coffee lovers, Nespresso’s Cafecito de Puerto Rico blend produces a bold, full-bodied double espresso with notes of dark cocoa and pepper and a silky crema on top.—
Mark Marino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The anti-American side focuses exclusively on the tragedies, usually makes slavery the chief argument for the prosecution, and dismisses the triumphs as hypocritical rhetoric.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
In a society that is adamant, if hypocritical, in its moral rejection of violence, the ubiquity of such violent imagery seems to have its own kind of purpose.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But those claims keep getting rejected, mostly for phony reasons, as the region is gradually emptied of its long-time residents.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Other phony works allegedly offered for sale by the 77-year-old suspect included ceramic vases by Picasso, Study of a Head by Amadeo Modigliani, and pieces purportedly by Peter Paul Rubens, Joan Miró and Anthony van Dyck.—
NPR,
NPR,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Phony-baloney.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phony-baloney. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share