1
as in faux
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials
a sofa upholstered in sham leather
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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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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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1
as in parody
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something
condemned the rigged election as a total sham
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2
as in hoax
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
the diamond turned out to be a sham
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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
Dylan Butts, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025
Their early acts of truth-telling — like refusing to participate in sham elections or other regime fictions — will exact an initial price as the government amps up its means of repression.
—Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2025
Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 2025
The set comes with two shams and a woven quilt that feels smooth and comfortable to sleep under all year round, according to shoppers.
—Toni Sutton, People.com, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sham
Adjective
Investing or romance scams involve a fraudster building a relationship with a victim via social media or dating apps, intending to con them out of money through a sham investment opportunity.
—Noun
Skip the standards with sham and follow the Euros with the bolster or lumbar.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for sham
Adjective
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This smart-looking slip-on is available in a variety of materials, including faux nubuck and leather.—
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During a love scene filmed on a bed with faux furs, Pike said was wearing nipple covers secured with tape.—
Adjective
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On May 6, 2022, Yusuf sold counterfeit blue M30 Oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl to Murray and her boyfriend in a Taco Bell parking lot in Folsom, according to the District Attorney’s Office.—
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Tatum starred as Shawn MacArthur, a small-time street hustler who sells counterfeit wares before being recruited to make money by participating in amateur street fights.—
Adjective
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This is the version (1.0) version of his mock draft, and there could easily be revisions made necessary by trades, medical history and players rising and falling.—
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Widely considered the top receiver in the draft, many mock drafts have had the Cowboys selecting the Southern California native at No. 12.—
Noun
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In actuality, everything — unbeknownst to him — was ridiculously staged in a pitch-perfect reality TV parody, as comedy improv actors like David Hornsby and pre-Saturday Night Live Kristen Wiig would put Gould smack dab in the middle of absurd situation after absurd situation.—
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For cases relating to works of fiction, parody and satire, courts recognize that the examination must focus on what the publisher intended to convey, the company says.—
Noun
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Dwight Gooden, who was the rookie of the year in 1984, thought the hoax was real at first.—
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In reality, the book and the article were the twin prongs of an elaborate hoax — but an important and influential one, Tinline explains in this entertaining history, with reverberations that have lasted into the present era of QAnon and Deep State conspiracy theories.—
Noun
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But this would come as the result of a cutback in government spending that is currently categorized by Trump Administration officials as either waste, fraud, or non-essential in nature.—
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Holmes was convicted on four counts of fraud after lying to Theranos investors about her blood testing technology's reliability and was later sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2022.—
Verb
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But one of the show’s most viral clips is much more representative: The veteran SNL writer Jim Downey pretends to have never heard about Jeffrey Epstein’s misdeeds, to O’Brien’s bleating objections.—
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Appearing in his second Saturday Night Live-adjacent film after Wayne's World, Lowe played the villainous Paul Barrish, Tommy's older stepbrother, who plots to take over his father's company with help from his secret lover, partner-in-crime, and pretend mother, Beverly (played by Bo Derek).—
Adjective
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At times, these characters surrounded by the green and gold blur of jungle and sunshine almost look fake, or as if they’re being shot in a studio.—
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Connecting Japanese fans with all MLB players, teams Justin Turner #3 of the Chicago Cubs poses with young fans who wear fake beard prior to the game against Yomiuri Giants at Tokyo Dome on March 16, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan.—
Cite this Entry
“Sham.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sham. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
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