variants or phoney-baloney
Definition of phony-baloneynext

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of phony-baloney Namely, their own phony-baloney, six-figure jobs. Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 20 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phony-baloney
Adjective
  • First was a Drug Enforcement Administration badge and ID with Horsch’s photo on it, but the ID was fake, and Horsch has never worked for the DEA, according to court documents.
    Danny Freeman, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
  • This game preserves the difficulty of coming up with an elaborate, consistent false narrative on the spot, and the challenge of adapting that narrative on the fly when other players present convincing (and sometimes fake) counter-evidence.
    Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 30 June 2026
Adjective
  • Taylor Walls recorded three hits while Chandler Simpson added a double and a single.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
  • Resting options include double bunk beds in back and queen bed with bamboo mattress up front.
    Kris Millgate, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Adjective
  • One sure focus is the rampant grade inflation that exaggerates student achievement and has made graduating high school close to meaningless as an indicator of college preparedness.
    U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2026
  • This distinction between meaningful and meaningless data evokes signal versus noise, a communication concept formulated by the mathematician Claude Shannon.
    Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Adjective
  • When a legitimate trucking company or dispatcher responds to the phony load listing, the criminals reply with an email with malware contained in a link that appears to be a shipping document or contract.
    Steve Weisman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • In the cases before the Supreme Court as well as the wage case before Hall, there is no suggestion that lawyers intentionally buttressed arguments with phony precedents in order to win an unfair advantage.
    Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2026
Adjective
  • Or means that any comments are supposedly hypocritical.
    Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026
  • Earlier this month, Matsui’s campaign came after Vang for taking corporate donations from Sacramento-area businesses during her city council campaigns, implying that Vang’s vows to not accept money from corporate PACs in her congressional bid is hypocritical.
    Mathew Miranda June 4, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2026
Adjective
  • The West should also stop drawing artificial distinctions that favor Russian escalation management over Ukrainian survival.
    David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Instead of using artificial colors, look for ingredients that naturally fit the bill.
    Kate Williams, AJC.com, 29 June 2026
Adjective
  • Context that lacks acknowledgment comes across as defensive, and acknowledgment that lacks context comes across superficial.
    Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • At the most superficial level, the DSA influx has associated Democrats with a series of kooky beliefs and statements.
    Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Phony-baloney.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phony-baloney. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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