variants
also phoney
1
as in counterfeit
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 mock
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 fake
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 hoax
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 fraud
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
David Matthews, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
But Donnie ain't phony like Varnell.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
Infiniti is asked to play the put-upon daughter of a man-child father, a scared child, a phony among true believers, and eventually, a reluctant killer.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 24 Sep. 2025
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
Investigators said the vehicle had phony license plates.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
But Donnie ain't phony like Varnell.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
Which, of course, is what happens on newspapers and that’s why all these things sound so phoney.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
Infiniti is asked to play the put-upon daughter of a man-child father, a scared child, a phony among true believers, and eventually, a reluctant killer.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 24 Sep. 2025
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
-
Estée Lauder is suing Walmart in federal court alleging that the retailer sold counterfeit versions of the cosmetic company's fragrance and skin care products in its online store.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
-
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Estée Lauder is suing Walmart, claiming that the big-box retailer sold counterfeit beauty products on its online marketplace.—
Josephine Rozzelle,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Pharmacy technician students practice compounding mock medications such as lip balms and creams.—
Wilborn P. Nobles III,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The oversized mock-neck sweater tucks chicly into the pencil-leg pants, primed for rolling at the hems and styling with chunky sneakers for long travel days.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The agency allegedly used Bank of America accounts to lure young women with fake modeling offers, while financial records suggest the bank was aware of these suspicious connections, according to plaintiff’s claims.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Some guests got very into it—one adopted a fake British accent for the duration.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
His thinking was contradictory at times but extensive; if this was a hoax, the execution was quite good.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The former agent suggested this could mean the kidnappers may be from overseas or that the note is a hoax.—
Carlos Garcia,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Officials allege Redzepagic — who recently lived in Florida — was involved in a fraud scheme between May 2021 and March 2025.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
13 Feb. 2026
-
French police have detained nine people in relation to a ticketing fraud scheme that may have cost the Louvre €10 million ($12 million).—
News Desk,
Artforum,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Fiction is the amalgam that allows disparate elements to forge a whole.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
-
But without a finished 10th novel to work from (Gabaldon is currently in progress on her final Outlander volume, called A Blessing for a Warrior Going Out), Roberts and team had to toe a fine line between honoring the essence of the book series and forging their own path forward.—
Amy Wilkinson,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Authorities did not provide additional details about the agents' apparently false statements.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Nevertheless, Worden continued to promote the false claim to news outlets and hired a media consultant to amplify it, the documents said.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
As Derya and Aziz’s hypocrisies, as upper-class intellectuals, are increasingly brought to the fore, Namal and Biçer’s conversational performances grow haggard and strained.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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Gregg Phillips, an associate administrator at FEMA, said at a hearing this week that its disaster relief fund has sufficient balances to continue emergency response activities during a shutdown, but would become seriously strained in the event of a catastrophic disaster.—
Mary Clare Jalonick,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phony. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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