1
as in hoax
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
tests showed that the "old" map of America was a cleverly made humbug
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2
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
those UFO stories are a lot of humbug
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3
as in fraud
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
one humbug after another claimed to be the miraculously surviving daughter of the Russian czar
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as in to fool
to cause to believe what is untrue
humbugged into believing that the bones were the skeleton of a prehistoric human being
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as in nuts
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
a lot of humbuggery about a mean old witch that lives in the woods
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Examples of humbug in a Sentence
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Recent Examples on the Web
Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 July 2023
His bah-humbug to Halloween was in keeping with that tough line.
—Nicole Winfield, Star Tribune, 17 Oct. 2020
Elizabeth Wolfe and Douglas S. Wood, CNN, 21 Dec. 2019
See all Example Sentences for humbug 
Noun
Mean One features David Howard Thornton, known for playing Art the Clown in the Terrifier movies, as a familiar-looking green-skinned humbug in a Santa suit, living on a mountain high above the small town town of Newville.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 July 2023
His bah-humbug to Halloween was in keeping with that tough line.
—Nicole Winfield, Star Tribune, 17 Oct. 2020
Verb
In its verb form, to be humbugged is to be deceived or be the victim of a hoax.
—Elizabeth Wolfe and Douglas S. Wood, CNN, 21 Dec. 2019
See all Example Sentences for humbug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humbug
Verb
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But her professor, played by Tig Notaro, isn’t fooled.Hilary Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2024
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Anyone who thinks otherwise is fooling two people: themselves and you.Eli Amdur, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Cybercriminals relentlessly launch phishing attacks at employees, trying to coax or trick them into providing their personal information and credentials.Ilia Sotnikov, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
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Caution using them to judge individual pieces of writing and artwork is warranted, especially with a new wave of tools available to trick them.Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 28 Oct. 2024
Verb
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For example, a finance worker was deceived into transferring $25 million to fraudsters who used deepfake technology to impersonate their CFO.Alexandr Khomich, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
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Further changes could come from the Federal Trade Commission, which issues the Green Guides — national guidelines on how companies can advertise environmentally friendly products without deceiving the public.Lisa Song, ProPublica, 23 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near humbug
Cite this Entry
“Humbug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humbug. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
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