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
Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 20 Mar. 2026
Madison Park Willa 6-Piece Cotton Quilt Set Bring light, spring energy into your bedroom with this quilt set that comes with matching floral shams and throw pillows.
—Jacqueline Tempera, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Mar. 2026
The package includes a quilt and two pillow shams.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2026
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 gauzy texture is made from organic cotton, and the decorative pillow shams have a highly dimensional stitching.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 20 Mar. 2026
Madison Park Willa 6-Piece Cotton Quilt Set Bring light, spring energy into your bedroom with this quilt set that comes with matching floral shams and throw pillows.
—Jacqueline Tempera, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Mar. 2026
The package includes a quilt and two pillow shams.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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
-
How did Jane Lynch wind up in the YouTube ad parodies?—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Countless memes and parodies have circulated online.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
By 2009, Nakamoto took Bitcoin from theory to reality, mining the Genesis Block, and then, once the rules were set, protections against counterfeits were secured, and Bitcoin began to circulate—still worth next to nothing—Nakamoto vanished.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
17 Mar. 2026
-
While many online retailers and marketplaces have taken steps to address the marketing of counterfeits, others still haven’t put the requisite measures in place—like notice and takedown procedures, identity verification and policies to punish offenders—that would curb the behavior.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There are some elite frauds going on in the sports world right now.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
That will weed out the frauds, freeloaders and slumlords.—
Scott Ostler,
San Francisco Chronicle,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That's the county JD Vance pretends to be from.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
All about the fake Google security page Security researchers at Malwarebytes, a cybersecurity company, recently discovered a phishing website that pretends to be part of Google's account protection system.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The South’s special flair got lost in a haze of avocado toast pop-ups, reality show caricatures, and music festivals that turned into marketing conferences.—
Rafael Peña,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Making matters worse, most of the supporting characters feel like caricatures.—
Chase Hutchinson,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Obviously, these are hoaxes right now.—
March 17,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions – also known as the fake news – have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
McEnelly played defense the rest of the way, mixing in fakes where needed to keep Welsh at bay.—
Twin Cities,
Twin Cities,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Nembhard had to toss the ball out to Pascal Siakam after failing to get Wembanyama to jump on two fakes under the rim.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This device simulates zero-G by flipping and disorienting the cells placed within it.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The fund leverages Project Prometheus, an AI system that simulates physical-world behavior, enabling engineers to test designs digitally instead of through costly physical prototyping.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shams. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
