variants
also phoney
1
as in fake
being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud
a phony watch with a designer logo
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bogus
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
she always has this phony smile just before she betrays you
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in meaningless
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
her concern for our welfare is as phony as all get-out—she just wants to know our business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also phoney
1
as in counterfeit
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
the fancy "emerald" ring turned out to be a phony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sham
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
the person who performed the liposuction operation was later discovered to be a phony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to fake
to imitate or copy especially in order to deceive
the terrorists were able to move around the country using phonied driver's licenses
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 phony
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2025
The ringleaders bribed postal carriers to steal the refund checks from the mail and gave accomplices phony identification to use at check-cashing places.
—Brian Sloan, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2025
Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 25 July 2024
His character, called The Passenger, is unpredictable, violent and has no patience for phonies, though there is an emotional key to his madness.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 11 July 2024
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2024
In fact, legislators and regulators are rolling back regulations designed to protect investors, who in this case are estimated to have lost $100 billion to phony Chinese firms.
—Gary Thompson, Philly.com, 29 Mar. 2018
See All Example Sentences for phony
Adjective
Rivers is the latest phony voter in South Florida to be nabbed by federal agents with the State Department Diplomatic Security Service.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2025
The ringleaders bribed postal carriers to steal the refund checks from the mail and gave accomplices phony identification to use at check-cashing places.
—Brian Sloan, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
The comment was Vance's response after Beshear had previously called him a phony and not a Kentuckian and implied heavily that nepotism was the only reason Beshear is governor.
—Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 25 July 2024
His character, called The Passenger, is unpredictable, violent and has no patience for phonies, though there is an emotional key to his madness.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 11 July 2024
Verb
What constitutes the crime is to phony up business accounting records to disguise the payments.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2024
In fact, legislators and regulators are rolling back regulations designed to protect investors, who in this case are estimated to have lost $100 billion to phony Chinese firms.
—Gary Thompson, Philly.com, 29 Mar. 2018
See All Example Sentences for phony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phony
Adjective
-
These platforms sell complete phishing kits—web hosting, SMS delivery systems, fake landing pages, encryption tools—to other cybercriminals who want to run scams at scale.—
Alex Vakulov,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Days later, Johnson was photographed on set with fake blood splattered across her face and clothes.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
But then, Johnson was asked what exactly was bogus about the NFLPA report card.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2025
-
There have been plenty of demonstrations of the inefficiency of Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), from having to rehire workers to being forced to admit claims of vast savings were bogus.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The infrastructure and bureaucracy of empire are largely meaningless in this milieu.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
28 Mar. 2025
-
What happens during spring football — when many players are out recovering from surgery — is meaningless.—
Manny Navarro,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Others have used the counterfeits from East Asia to take advantage of Apple by sending in counterfeit phones that couldn't be repaired in order to induce the company to replace the counterfeits with genuine iPhones, Apple isn't the only one plagued by fraudsters.—
Michael Loria,
USA TODAY,
16 Jan. 2025
-
Cases of counterfeits have been rare, but with prices rising into the six- and seven-figure range, obtaining that certified guarantee is important.—
Rob Salkowitz,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The votes were widely viewed as a sham and heavily criticized by the US at the time as well as by allies in Europe.—
Anna Chernova,
CNN,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Six elections since have been widely dismissed as shams that concealed rising discontent.—
Nataliya Vasilyeva,
New York Times,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
These days, the Hall of Famer is forging a new, post-football path. ➤ Barry Sanders: Lions turnaround has been 'miraculous': Speaking of 1990s pro football icons, Sanders' electrifying runs filled highlight reels.—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2025
-
And each chose to forge an entirely new path forward, one that would eventually lead to industry disruption and community transformation.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Kim Soo Hyun also claimed that many text messages that had been distributed online, purportedly between him and Kim Sae-ron, were false.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2025
-
In the case against Allied Van Lines Moving and Storage, the larger Allied Van Lines Inc. accused the defendant of trademark infringement, false descriptions, federal trademark dilution, cybersquatting, injury to its business reputation and dilution, and misappropriation and unfair competition.—
Ron Hurtibise,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This could certainly change if the Rockets land a certain French teenager in this year's draft lottery, but the first half of 2022-23 has assuaged some concerns about the long-term viability of a pseudo-twin-towers in the starting lineup with Jabari Smith flanked by Alperen Şengün.—
Michael Shapiro,
Chron,
15 Jan. 2023
-
In a code division scheme, each call is encoded in a random or pseudo-random sequencing, and receivers at the other end are equipped to decode their own calls.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
27 Apr. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Phony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phony. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share