1
as in faux
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials
a sofa upholstered in sham leather
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in counterfeit
being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud
street vendors selling sham designer handbags to gullible tourists
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
the sham friendliness of a salesman trying to sell you something
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in parody
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something
condemned the rigged election as a total sham
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hoax
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
the diamond turned out to be a sham
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fraud
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
that supposed French movie star was a sham
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
shammed a most unconvincing limp just to get sympathy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sham
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
Authorities investigated the theft of several off-highway vehicles in Dorchester and Dedham and arrested two males who participated in the sham business.
—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
26 May 2026
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 June 2026
The set comes with two matching shams, and all three pieces feature a textured pattern that adds dimension to your bedding.
—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sham
Adjective
The pursuit of youth involved a lot of sham science.
—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
Authorities investigated the theft of several off-highway vehicles in Dorchester and Dedham and arrested two males who participated in the sham business.
—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
26 May 2026
Noun
The quilt also comes with two matching 20-x-36-inch pillow shams.
—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 June 2026
The set comes with two matching shams, and all three pieces feature a textured pattern that adds dimension to your bedding.
—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sham
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sham
Adjective
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Inside, a memory foam insole with arch support cushions every step, and the soft faux leather molds to your ideal fit over time.
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The white interior and faux leather are also available in Overland and reviewed Limited trims.
Adjective
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Investigators also caught the brothers with at least 15 counterfeit and unauthorized bank cards, prosecutors said.
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The case focused on Muk Choi Lau, a Chinese citizen and green-card holder, who was charged with selling nearly $300,000 in counterfeit shorts before returning from a 2012 trip.
Adjective
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On Thursday, Gary Police Department personnel visited campers to teach about crime scene investigation and create a mock crime scene for students to solve.
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An 11-year-old Dexter Sol Ansell is peering into his Zoom camera, hands pressed to his cheeks and mouth wide open in mock shock.
Noun
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Scary Movie paved the way for more big-screen parodies, including Date Movie (2006), Epic Movie (2007), and Meet the Spartans (2008).
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Their outmoded style, with its seriousness and corniness, its big acting choices and low budgets, is basically impossible to recreate without falling into parody.
Noun
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There is some speculation that the coup was a hoax, however, as Roy Bates was later represented in court by one of Sealand’s Dutch occupiers.
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Another of WKNA‘s articles even uses a screenshot that was first posted to r/poisonai that shows Google’s AI Overview correctly asserting that reports of Vance’s death are a hoax.
Noun
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Kidan pleaded guilty in 2005 to fraud and conspiracy related to the purchase of a fleet of gambling boats, and in 2006 he was sentenced to nearly six years in prison.
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Google also said the devices were used for ad fraud and other digital crimes.
Verb
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Barcenas' tea-sipping celebration was a tribute to Alex Morgan, one of the Wave's owners, who pretended to take a sip of tea after scoring in a match against England during the 2019 Women's World Cup.
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Well, Ariana seems to remember, whereas Hudson is determined to just undo the breakup and pretend like none of it ever happened.
Adjective
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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.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Sham.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sham. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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