1
as in associate
a person frequently seen in the company of another
the criminal's cronies were also closely questioned about the illegal gambling operation
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2
as in friend
a person who has a strong liking for and trust in another
only my cronies can call me by my nickname
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crony
Too many department heads are cronies, not experienced experts.
—
Hal Valderhaug, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Slowly, Castro’s cronies built a kleptocracy that proved ruinous to the Cuban people, but hugely profitable to them.
—Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Perpetuating the Castros or some of their cronies….
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
And at a time when the president of the United States and his cronies have embarked on a bid to make the country less democratic and less pluralistic, a media company that has shown a clear willingness to align itself with that mission is about to get dramatically bigger.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crony
Hal Valderhaug, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Slowly, Castro’s cronies built a kleptocracy that proved ruinous to the Cuban people, but hugely profitable to them.
—Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Perpetuating the Castros or some of their cronies….
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
And at a time when the president of the United States and his cronies have embarked on a bid to make the country less democratic and less pluralistic, a media company that has shown a clear willingness to align itself with that mission is about to get dramatically bigger.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crony
Noun
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Incoming Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar alleged that his predecessor’s associates are fleeing the country with billions of dollars in assets.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The episode’s tension reaches a boiling point at the ceremony, when Nate’s business associate, Naz, shows up uninvited after learning Nate is scamming him.—
Zoe Papelis,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Her first time visiting New York City, Mann had made plans to introduce her two friends to the larger-than-life Weinstein over breakfast.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Before Miami Dolphins draft pick Michael Taaffe and quarterback Quinn Ewers were teammates and close friends at Texas, Taaffe had the best day of his high school football career against Ewers.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Friends Remember Ernie Dosio as a Charitable Man Friends and colleagues have emphasized Dosio’s generosity and character, describing him as someone who gave back quietly and consistently.—
Ryan Brennan
April 28,
Kansas City Star,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Clooney’s other famous friends and colleagues, including Matt Damon and Richard Kind, sent video messages to celebrate the actor’s career longevity.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Oscar nominee and Primetime Emmy winner Liz Garbus and Elizabeth Wolff directed the documentary, which features interviews with King, her wife Ilana Kloss, and fellow tennis luminaries Chris Evert and Rosie Casals, and King’s buddy Elton John, among others.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
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On the way to save her beloved canine buddy Krypto, the party-hearty but tortured Supergirl teams up with a vengeful youngster (Ruthye Marye Knoll) and a rambunctious intergalactic bounty hunter (Jason Momoa).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Thola-Duran and his accomplices used the money to purchase various assets, including real estate and horses, according to prosecutors.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
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Prior to the baby girl’s killing, video shows Greene and his accomplice, 18-year-old Mathew Rodriguez, riding a scooter around the Bushwick Houses in search of their target, cops said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For him and several of his peers, the Enhanced Games fits into that same experimental bucket that is nothing short of dangerous.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
30 Apr. 2026
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The film will chart Butcher’s life on and off the pitch, including the profound impact of losing his son, as well as his subsequent work with peer-support organization Combat2Coffee.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Musk is trying a number of tactics to inflict pain on his old comrades.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
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Syrian authorities on Friday arrested Amjad Yousef, a former intelligence officer who appeared in a video leaked four years ago that appears to show him and his comrades executing dozens of blindfolded and shackled prisoners in the Damascus suburb of Tadamon during the civil war.—
Ghaith Alsayed,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crony. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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