1
as in parodies
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something
condemned the rigged election as a total sham
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
The set comes with two shams and is reversible with a simple solid white side.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 24 Apr. 2026
Stripping and washing all bedding — including duvet covers, mattress protectors and pillow shams — is one of the most impactful tasks on any spring cleaning list.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
The cotton blend fill adds a bit more loft than other options while still staying breathable, and two coordinating pillow shams complete the look.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2026
The gauzy texture is made from organic cotton, and the decorative pillow shams have a highly dimensional stitching.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 20 Mar. 2026
Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
When paired with a chunky throw and, perhaps a plaid throw, the duvet cover and shams practically give off visual warmth.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 4 Mar. 2026
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
Noun
Etched with a cheery blue bouquet pattern on a soft yellow background, the comforter and matching shams give any room a spring makeover.
—Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
The set comes with two shams and is reversible with a simple solid white side.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 24 Apr. 2026
Stripping and washing all bedding — including duvet covers, mattress protectors and pillow shams — is one of the most impactful tasks on any spring cleaning list.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
The cotton blend fill adds a bit more loft than other options while still staying breathable, and two coordinating pillow shams complete the look.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2026
The gauzy texture is made from organic cotton, and the decorative pillow shams have a highly dimensional stitching.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
For more of our favorite linen bedding, check out sheet sets, duvet covers, quilts, throw blankets, pillowcases, and shams below.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
When paired with a chunky throw and, perhaps a plaid throw, the duvet cover and shams practically give off visual warmth.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 4 Mar. 2026
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
-
Broadway, top-heavy with musical parodies and attention-grabbing revivals, is having a strange season by all accounts.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
While the show featured many of the same characters, its format strayed from the sci-fi space narrative of Spaceballs and instead was a series of parodies, each episode serving as a satirical commentary on several contemporary hits, such as Lord of the Rings, American Idol and Harry Potter.—
Maddie Garfinkle,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Greece, home to an extensive repository of cultural artifacts, has long contended with the proliferation of counterfeits and the looting of archaeological sites.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
-
By 2009, Nakamoto took Bitcoin from theory to reality, mining the Genesis Block, and then, once the rules were set, protections against counterfeits were secured, and Bitcoin began to circulate—still worth next to nothing—Nakamoto vanished.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The National Association of Mortgage Brokers recommends customers take precautions to avoid potential frauds by calling sources and double-checking any information or requests.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
There are some elite frauds going on in the sports world right now.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In one snap, the foursome laughs as Crown Prince Christian pretends to grab his younger brother's neck.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
This team is improved, has a deeper roster, no longer pretends Kris Bryant is a major league player and features more functional pitchers (No, seriously).—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The other women in the friends’ lives — primarily their mothers — don’t fare much better and are reduced to near-caricatures.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
-
And in mainstream television, Latinos are very often caricatures.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Over a recent five-year span, 4% of Amber Alerts nationwide were determined to be hoaxes, where people intentionally misled law enforcement.—
Andrea Lucia,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, has also been the subject of death hoaxes in the past, including in 2018, when a fake article reporting his death circulated online.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Swift’s likeness has been used without permission in numerous AI fakes, including by Meta’s AI chatbots and in pornographic images that have circulated on the internet.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Hackers with your booking data can write convincing fakes that look urgent.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The facility is likely the only one in the world that can do full-load, bidirectional testing that simulates both grid conditions and variable data-center loads.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Ray tracing is a 3D rendering technology that simulates the behavior of light to produce realistic reflections and lighting effects.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shams. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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