1
: a trick that deludes : hoax
feared that the deal was a sham
2
: cheap falseness : hypocrisy
saw through the hollowness, the sham, the silliness of the empty pageant—
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde3
: an ornamental covering for a pillow
4
: an imitation or counterfeit purporting to be genuine
5
: a person who shams
shammed; shamming
: to go through the external motions necessary to counterfeit
: to act intentionally so as to give a false impression : feign
Examples of sham in a Sentence
Noun
He claims that the trial was a sham.
Their marriage was a sham.
Many people believed he could help them, but I knew he was a sham.
She exposed their sham and hypocrisy.
Adjective
a sofa upholstered in sham leather
street vendors selling sham designer handbags to gullible tourists
Verb
She wasn't really hurt; she was only shamming.
He was shamming illness to avoid work.
Recent Examples on the Web
Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
This three-piece set from Chezmoi Collection includes a bedspread and two matching shams that resist pilling, shrinking, and thinning over time, all while regulating temperature to prevent overheating.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Oct. 2025
Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
Woolard in 2006 was indicted for conspiring with a Kansas City charter school president in a mortgage and investment fraud scheme that used fake loan documents, inflated appraisals and a sham housing project to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from investors.
—Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sham
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
For a bedding refresh, this duvet cover set is available in 26 colors and includes matching shams.
—Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
This three-piece set from Chezmoi Collection includes a bedspread and two matching shams that resist pilling, shrinking, and thinning over time, all while regulating temperature to prevent overheating.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
One of Ryan’s clients who went through one of the sham court proceedings was charged $25,000 by their fake attorney.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
Woolard in 2006 was indicted for conspiring with a Kansas City charter school president in a mortgage and investment fraud scheme that used fake loan documents, inflated appraisals and a sham housing project to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from investors.
—Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sham
Cite this Entry
“Sham.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sham. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sham
2 of 3 verb
shammed; shamming
: to act in a deceiving way
sham
3 of 3 adjective
: not real : false
sham pearls
Medical Definition
sham
adjective
: being a treatment or procedure that is performed as a control and that is similar to but omits a key therapeutic element of the treatment or procedure under investigation
sham surgery, in which doctors make an incision in a patient's knee and manipulate the joint, but don't clean out fluid, debris, and torn cartilage—Liz Kowalczyk
Liz Kowalczyka sham injection of saline solution
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share