crony

noun

cro·​ny ˈkrō-nē How to pronounce crony (audio)
plural cronies
Synonyms of crony
: a close friend usually of long standing : pal
played golf with his cronies
often, specifically : a person who unfairly receives special treatment see also cronyism, crony capitalism

Synonyms of crony

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Examples of crony in a Sentence

The mayor rewarded his cronies with high-paying jobs after he was elected. the criminal's cronies were also closely questioned about the illegal gambling operation
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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.
Just as Sky was going up for a moonsault, Morgan’s Judgment Day cronies got involved. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Ilham Aliyev continued his father’s dictatorial legacy, imprisoning his critics and enriching his family and cronies, while polishing his country’s image by hosting Formula One events and the Eurovision Song Contest. — Literary Hub, 30 July 2026 The happy couple weren’t even able to celebrate Lucy saying yes to the big question Tim popped while down on knee, because they were immediately tranquilized and kidnapped by an Everett crony. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026 After Putin invaded Ukraine, Western governments grabbed almost two dozen luxury vessels to punish him and his cronies. — Giacomo Tognini, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for crony

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Greek chronios long-lasting, from chronos time

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of crony was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing crony

Rhymes for crony

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Browse Nearby Words

Cronut
crony
crony capitalism
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Cite this Entry

“Crony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crony. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

crony

noun
cro·​ny ˈkrō-nē How to pronounce crony (audio)
plural cronies
: a close companion : pal
politicians who get jobs for their cronies

More from Merriam-Webster on crony

Nglish: Translation of crony for Spanish Speakers

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