as in prejudice
disapproving
the unfair practice by a powerful person (such as a politician) of giving jobs and other favors to friends
The mayor has been accused of cronyism.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cronyism
Wu was asked about Flaherty’s quarter-million dollar payout through a severance agreement, and purported cronyism revealed by Commission records that show the agency’s Executive Director Henry Vitale had two sister-in-laws and a nephew on the payroll last year.
—
Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 13 Mar. 2025
Which is the appropriate thing to say even in the absence of cronyism.
—Felix Salmon, Axios, 6 Feb. 2025
Under Adams, mayoral control has led to reckless decision-making, deepened segregation, and blatant cronyism.
—Matt Gonzales, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2025
Particularly since all too many sovereign wealth pools lead to cronyism.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cronyism
Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 13 Mar. 2025
Which is the appropriate thing to say even in the absence of cronyism.
—Felix Salmon, Axios, 6 Feb. 2025
Under Adams, mayoral control has led to reckless decision-making, deepened segregation, and blatant cronyism.
—Matt Gonzales, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2025
Particularly since all too many sovereign wealth pools lead to cronyism.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cronyism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cronyism
Noun
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In her brief detention hearing Friday, Han’s attorney said her client is consenting to detention without prejudice and will remain in federal custody.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2025
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Matsumoto observes the African Americans were missing from this glowing coverage of other minorities—perhaps as a result of racial prejudice among Japanese Americans.—
H.M.A. Leow,
JSTOR Daily,
8 June 2025
Noun
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A lot of these racial differences are not explained by differences in criminal behavior, but rather, are the result of structural biases against Black and Latino adults, argues a 2022 Center for American Progress report.—
Christian Weller,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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Nobody had accused him of political bias, though several Palestinian students had privately complained to Qasem Hassan about it.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Noun
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His organization exists to dismantle the nepotism and gatekeeping pervasive in the art world.—
Byron Armstrong,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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Succession is in large part an exploration of nepotism: people that have power and authority who have not earned it, but desperately want to retain it.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
28 May 2025
Noun
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However, the energy policy established by the previous administration, with its multi-billion dollar tax breaks and subsidies, as well as government favoritism, has complicated the signals for clean energy investment.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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Major concerns about no-bid contracting flagged by SANDAG’s independent auditor include potential favoritism for a trio of companies, as well as changes to improper contracts that in one case boosted project costs by 3,300%.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cronyism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cronyism. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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