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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of humbug
IEEE Spectrum, 16 Jan. 2024
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
Elizabeth Wolfe and Douglas S. Wood, CNN, 21 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for humbug
Noun
Well then, the author cannot be blamed for what might be called the worldwide humbug over the robots.
—IEEE Spectrum, 16 Jan. 2024
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
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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That was probably a terrible decision, in fairness, but Meazza responded by faking a shot to fool a defender, then teed up Piola to score.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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While the towering shoes may seem intimidating, don’t let their large, often chunky heels fool you: PLatform shoes are among the most comfortable heels in any wardrobe.—
Nina Derwin,
Glamour,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Deceptive tactics trick users into providing biometric data unknowingly.—
Mohamed Lazzouni,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
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The light from screens can trick your brain into staying awake.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But as, as the brilliant evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller notes, our capacities to judge competence have evolved, so too have our capacities to deceive others about it.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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And Ken claims to be a man of faith but uses fake Uber accounts to meet his girlfriend and deceive his family.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Humbug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humbug. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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