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
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Recent Examples of phony
Erin Doherty, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2025
Many of the phony vendor companies were created by Ahmed under various names to conceal their association with the fraudulent payments, which were sent to bank accounts the defendants controlled, the indictment stated.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
Larae Quy, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
When top deepfake detectors only catch the phonies 75% of the time, according to reports, being vigilant against fraud is vital.
—Chris Westfall, Forbes, 29 Nov. 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
Fast forward a few months, and Trump and his top aides now contend that the BLS data cannot be trusted, and the downward revisions to the last two months' jobs reports were phony.
—Erin Doherty, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2025
Many of the phony vendor companies were created by Ahmed under various names to conceal their association with the fraudulent payments, which were sent to bank accounts the defendants controlled, the indictment stated.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
Noun
The answer is important because being a phony is hard work.
—Larae Quy, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
When top deepfake detectors only catch the phonies 75% of the time, according to reports, being vigilant against fraud is vital.
—Chris Westfall, Forbes, 29 Nov. 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
-
Trump still puts himself on fake magazine covers for validation, but some version of his celebrity and influence — and the attendant and unnerving public scrutiny — is now available to anyone who wants it.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
16 Aug. 2025
-
In some cases, scam victims have reached out to fraudsters on fake websites, which look legitimate, in hopes of recovering their funds.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
In pleading guilty, Raftery admitted to receiving more than $24,000 in 2015 and $30,000 in 2016 for bogus shifts.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Holmes, of course, was convicted in 2022 of fraud related to her bogus blood-testing technology.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Without fairness, the test (and winning) becomes meaningless—and for the rest of us, a huge bummer.—
Lindsey Witmer Collins,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The protester specifically said a letter Casten signed that day along with more than 90 other House Democrats, demanding an investigation into starvation reports in Gaza, was meaningless.—
Hank Beckman,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Lamar said counterfeits will remain a priority for the trade group in the name of protecting American businesses and consumers.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
18 July 2025
-
Smithsonian officials recommend avoiding collectibles for sale at significantly cheaper prices than compatible items, but even counterfeits can cost a lot.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Flores also contends his Texans’ interview was a sham.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
14 Aug. 2025
-
The quilt set comes with two matching shams and is 50% off in two sizes, but is selling fast.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 July 2025
Verb
-
Holt also embraced telemedicine and other technological tools to improve patient experience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, forging a path for bettering patient care in the digital age.—
Grace Tucker,
The Enquirer,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Alexia has done it the right way, by putting in her time, forging bonds with all the women, and bringing more storylines than a decade’s worth of telenovelas.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Fleeing from violence and a dark history, a man adopts a false identity looking to start over in the idyllic Canary Islands' town of Arcadia, where a new love interest could change his life — if his past doesn't come back to haunt him.—
Veronica Villafañe,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Newsom's $787 million suit seeks the same amount as the 2023 settlement Fox reached with Dominion Voting Systems after the voting machine company accused Fox News of knowingly pushing false conspiracy theories that Dominion rigged the 2020 presidential election in Joe Biden's favor.—
Olivia Rubin,
ABC News,
7 Aug. 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 21 Aug. 2025.
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