1
as in parodies
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something
condemned the rigged election as a total sham
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in counterfeits
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
the diamond turned out to be a sham
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in frauds
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
that supposed French movie star was a sham
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pretends
to present a false appearance of
shammed a most unconvincing limp just to get sympathy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 shams
Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 May 2026
Etched with a cheery blue bouquet pattern on a soft yellow background, the comforter and matching shams give any room a spring makeover.
—Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
The set comes with two shams and is reversible with a simple solid white side.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 24 Apr. 2026
Stripping and washing all bedding — including duvet covers, mattress protectors and pillow shams — is one of the most impactful tasks on any spring cleaning list.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
The gauzy texture is made from organic cotton, and the decorative pillow shams have a highly dimensional stitching.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 20 Mar. 2026
Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
When paired with a chunky throw and, perhaps a plaid throw, the duvet cover and shams practically give off visual warmth.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 4 Mar. 2026
Her book of creative nonfiction titled Zaman saghir taht shams thaniya (A Small Time Under a Different Sun) was published by Dar al-Nahda, Beirut in 2019.
—Huda Fakhreddine
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
The three-piece set includes two 20x26-inch matching pillow shams.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 May 2026
Etched with a cheery blue bouquet pattern on a soft yellow background, the comforter and matching shams give any room a spring makeover.
—Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
The set comes with two shams and is reversible with a simple solid white side.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 24 Apr. 2026
Stripping and washing all bedding — including duvet covers, mattress protectors and pillow shams — is one of the most impactful tasks on any spring cleaning list.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
The gauzy texture is made from organic cotton, and the decorative pillow shams have a highly dimensional stitching.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
For more of our favorite linen bedding, check out sheet sets, duvet covers, quilts, throw blankets, pillowcases, and shams below.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
When paired with a chunky throw and, perhaps a plaid throw, the duvet cover and shams practically give off visual warmth.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 4 Mar. 2026
Her book of creative nonfiction titled Zaman saghir taht shams thaniya (A Small Time Under a Different Sun) was published by Dar al-Nahda, Beirut in 2019.
—Huda Fakhreddine
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shams
Noun
-
Broadway, top-heavy with musical parodies and attention-grabbing revivals, is having a strange season by all accounts.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
While the show featured many of the same characters, its format strayed from the sci-fi space narrative of Spaceballs and instead was a series of parodies, each episode serving as a satirical commentary on several contemporary hits, such as Lord of the Rings, American Idol and Harry Potter.—
Maddie Garfinkle,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Its expert team enforces strict production rules, promotes the brand globally, fights counterfeits and certifies every wheel.—
Antonia Mortensen,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
-
Greece, home to an extensive repository of cultural artifacts, has long contended with the proliferation of counterfeits and the looting of archaeological sites.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Man Who Stole Portugal is inspired by the titular true crime book by Murray Teigh Bloom about Alves dos Reis, who pulled off one of the largest frauds in history against the Bank of Portugal in 1925.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
-
Four artworks recovered from the 1MDB scandal have gone on public view in Malaysia for the first time, offering a modest but pointed reminder of one of the largest financial frauds in modern history.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
But nobody pretends academics matter for college football players in 2026, and shortening the lull could maintain momentum and move the National Championship up a few weeks.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
-
There's also Bright White, which pretends to be Acetate, and definitely has the texture of something that wants to be organic.—
Florence Ion,
PC Magazine,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
The other women in the friends’ lives — primarily their mothers — don’t fare much better and are reduced to near-caricatures.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
-
And in mainstream television, Latinos are very often caricatures.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Over a recent five-year span, 4% of Amber Alerts nationwide were determined to be hoaxes, where people intentionally misled law enforcement.—
Andrea Lucia,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, has also been the subject of death hoaxes in the past, including in 2018, when a fake article reporting his death circulated online.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Once word got out about the reports in Ohio, so did the obvious fakes.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
-
McKenna is extremely shifty with the puck, blending shoulder fakes into his playmaking.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
The Supercomputer simulates the remaining fixtures of a season 10,000 times and analyses the results to create an average league table from those simulations.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
The facility is likely the only one in the world that can do full-load, bidirectional testing that simulates both grid conditions and variable data-center loads.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shams. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
