1
as in faux
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials
a sofa upholstered in sham leather
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in counterfeit
being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud
street vendors selling sham designer handbags to gullible tourists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
the sham friendliness of a salesman trying to sell you something
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in parody
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something
condemned the rigged election as a total sham
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hoax
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
the diamond turned out to be a sham
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fraud
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
that supposed French movie star was a sham
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
shammed a most unconvincing limp just to get sympathy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sham
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
This means that far from just being a sham treatment, placebo is a legitimate tool in your pain toolbox.
—Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
This sheet set also comes with shams, all made from cotton percale for a cool, crisp sleep year-round.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sham
Adjective
Ledeen died in May, well into his fifth decade of arguing against peace, or at least a sham peace, with Iran.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
This means that far from just being a sham treatment, placebo is a legitimate tool in your pain toolbox.
—Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
Noun
The Center for Reproductive Rights called the case against Rojas a sham.
—Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
This sheet set also comes with shams, all made from cotton percale for a cool, crisp sleep year-round.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sham
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sham
Adjective
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Add texture to beds, couches, and chairs with a plush faux rabbit fur throw blanket, incorporate a pop of color with a throw pillow, and dress up your walls with practical floating shelves or sconces.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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Few pieces of decor are as dreamy as the ones covered in faux fur, and this shaggy beanbag chair is no exception.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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In those meetings, our would-be bosses told us to make mock phone calls to prospective clients to gauge our ability to convince strangers about the merit of an imaginary product.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Instead of focusing on industry experience, assess the transferable skills students build through schoolwork and first jobs, such as critical thinking and problem solving needed for a mock trial in a political science course.—
Allison Danielsen,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The parody photo described the White House tower as a hotel, casino and golf course that also features a presidential suite.—
Greta Bjornson,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
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Lawrence referenced Grande’s parody of her from a 2016 episode of SNL.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But Kim Kardashian amplified a long-running conspiracy theory that the moon landing was a hoax that NASA staged.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
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Jones is a conspiracy theorist who said the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax staged by crisis actors.—
Scott Wartman,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This 2023 docuseries centers on the Murdaughs, South Carolina's illustrious legal dynasty, whose members were tied to multiple homicides, financial fraud and other alleged crimes.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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According to the State Department, altered passports are among the most common types of passport fraud.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Words like that carry generations of pain, and pretending otherwise only keeps the cycle going.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
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Prosecutors said Montejano pretended to be a teenage boy on Snapchat, asked the girls to meet him in a public area at the apartment complex before forcing the girls into his apartment.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Cybercriminals often use fake promotional emails or ads that look like real store offers.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The cohost brought up the astronaut during a discussion of Kim Kardashian's claim that the moon landing was fake.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sham.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sham. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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