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
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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
Dylan Butts, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025
Their early acts of truth-telling — like refusing to participate in sham elections or other regime fictions — will exact an initial price as the government amps up its means of repression.
—Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2025
Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 2025
The set comes with two shams and a woven quilt that feels smooth and comfortable to sleep under all year round, according to shoppers.
—Toni Sutton, People.com, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sham
Adjective
Investing or romance scams involve a fraudster building a relationship with a victim via social media or dating apps, intending to con them out of money through a sham investment opportunity.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025
Their early acts of truth-telling — like refusing to participate in sham elections or other regime fictions — will exact an initial price as the government amps up its means of repression.
—Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2025
Noun
Skip the standards with sham and follow the Euros with the bolster or lumbar.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 2025
The set comes with two shams and a woven quilt that feels smooth and comfortable to sleep under all year round, according to shoppers.
—Toni Sutton, People.com, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sham
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sham
Adjective
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This smart-looking slip-on is available in a variety of materials, including faux nubuck and leather.—
Miles Walls,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Apr. 2025
-
At the stores, bestsellers in ready-to-wear have been their cashmeres and leathers, along with faux fur and items with special details such as rhinestones.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
From data breaches and counterfeit products to the rapid spread of misinformation, brand image threats are constantly multiplying and evolving.—
Shay Solomon,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
-
An Arizona man’s arrest after allegedly passing a counterfeit $100 bill at a Chesterton pizza parlor has prompted further investigation about a potential connection to other similar incidents in Porter County.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This is the version (1.0) version of his mock draft, and there could easily be revisions made necessary by trades, medical history and players rising and falling.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Widely considered the top receiver in the draft, many mock drafts have had the Cowboys selecting the Southern California native at No. 12.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
This semester's show is a musical parody of Love Island called Love on an Island.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
3 Apr. 2025
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So Far Kilmer’s career spanned nearly four decades, starting with his first movie in 1984, the absurd joke-a-minute World War II parody Top Secret!, from the knuckleheads that created the comedy classic Airplane!—
John DeVore,
Rolling Stone,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Dwight Gooden, who was the rookie of the year in 1984, thought the hoax was real at first.—
New York Daily News,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2025
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In reality, the book and the article were the twin prongs of an elaborate hoax — but an important and influential one, Tinline explains in this entertaining history, with reverberations that have lasted into the present era of QAnon and Deep State conspiracy theories.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But this would come as the result of a cutback in government spending that is currently categorized by Trump Administration officials as either waste, fraud, or non-essential in nature.—
Sal Gilbertie,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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Holmes was convicted on four counts of fraud after lying to Theranos investors about her blood testing technology's reliability and was later sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2022.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Verb
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In the post, Oscar can be seen jumping into the ocean into his dad's arms, pretending to fly a plane, smiling with his mom Tana and cheesing on a blue truck.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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This prompt gives you enough talking points to contribute thoughtfully without pretending to be an expert.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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At times, these characters surrounded by the green and gold blur of jungle and sunshine almost look fake, or as if they’re being shot in a studio.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Connecting Japanese fans with all MLB players, teams Justin Turner #3 of the Chicago Cubs poses with young fans who wear fake beard prior to the game against Yomiuri Giants at Tokyo Dome on March 16, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan.—
Ian Thomas,
CNBC,
22 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sham.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sham. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
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