1
as in parodies
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something
condemned the rigged election as a total sham
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in counterfeits
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
the diamond turned out to be a sham
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in frauds
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
that supposed French movie star was a sham
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pretends
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 shams
Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
Sarah Sherman Samuel transforms high-quality hemp bedding with a tiger illustration—drawn by her son, no less—to make a set of shams perfect for elevating your bedding set with custom-like details.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 10 Feb. 2026
The complete set comes with a cozy bedspread and two matching pillow shams.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Feb. 2026
The set includes two matching shams, comes in 12 colors, and is on sale for up to 80 percent off.
—Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Use a quilt for wall art or to craft a headboard, drape textiles over a couch or chair, or use remnants to make pillow shams—the sky's the limit.
—Melissa Breyer, Martha Stewart, 16 Jan. 2026
Huda Fakhreddine
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
The set comes with matching pillow shams in every size for a simple bedroom refresh at a budget-friendly price.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
Sarah Sherman Samuel transforms high-quality hemp bedding with a tiger illustration—drawn by her son, no less—to make a set of shams perfect for elevating your bedding set with custom-like details.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 10 Feb. 2026
The complete set comes with a cozy bedspread and two matching pillow shams.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Feb. 2026
The set includes two matching shams, comes in 12 colors, and is on sale for up to 80 percent off.
—Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Use a quilt for wall art or to craft a headboard, drape textiles over a couch or chair, or use remnants to make pillow shams—the sky's the limit.
—Melissa Breyer, Martha Stewart, 16 Jan. 2026
Verb
Her book of creative nonfiction titled Zaman saghir taht shams thaniya (A Small Time Under a Different Sun) was published by Dar al-Nahda, Beirut in 2019.
—Huda Fakhreddine
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shams
Noun
-
The films remained popular throughout the early 1940s, and their impact persevered via reruns, rereleases, and even parodies, such as Eddie Murphy's not-so-little Buckwheat on Saturday Night Live.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
-
O’Hara’s celebrity parodies for SCTV included Brooke Shields, Lucille Ball, Elizabeth Taylor, Katherine Hepburn, Morgan Fairchild and gossip columnist Rona Barrett.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Each item passes through a multi-step process combining advanced imaging, database cross-references, and final expert verification, a hybrid system that eliminates bias, minimizes error, and safeguards agains increasingly sophisticated counterfeits.—
Tanya Benedicto Klich,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
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Do carve out a spot for the Mongkok market, with its colorful juxtaposition of souvenirs, food, fashions — beware of counterfeits, though — with live fish and even birds.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The frauds have grown nearly in lockstep with the growth of the industry.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
11 Jan. 2026
-
There is absolutely no evidence that frauds of this type or anywhere near this scale are happening in any of the other four states, or frankly that there is a large volume of as-yet-undiscovered fraud in Minnesota itself.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
No one pretends to extract any truth or significance.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Receiving gifts is the one love language everyone pretends not to have.—
Jennifer Noyes,
Air Mail,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In pop culture, the representation of gay men has largely been limited to a narrow list of tragic themes and undignified caricatures, Duquette said.—
Ian Kerner 19 hr ago,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
-
In a show full of caricatures, Moira was the loudest and least plausible.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Los Angeles Times reported that similar threats in multiple states, including Georgia, were traced to Russian domains and labeled politically disruptive hoaxes.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
18 Nov. 2025
-
In addition to the various homecoming shootings on HBCU campuses, several schools have fallen victim to swatting hoaxes aiming to foster confusion and chaos among the community.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The overwhelming motive for the early fakes was to provide entertainment — about three-quarters of the images in the exhibition were created for this purpose, Rooseboom said.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The flurry of non-consensual deep fakes produced on the platform prompted outrage and concern across the globe.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The software simulates wind passing over the avatar, computational fluid dynamics calculate how much resistance there is — and how tweaking a skater’s form alters that.—
Howard Fendrich,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Most prominently, engineers detected leaking hydrogen during the test, known as a wet dress rehearsal that simulates a launch day countdown.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shams. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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