plural cronies
: 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
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
Recent Examples on the Web
But even Brazil, a rising power that prides itself on its diplomatic prowess, has struggled to bring Maduro and his cronies to the negotiating table.
—
Christopher Sabatini, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2024
For those who haven’t recognized the callous opportunism inherent to Donald Trump and his cronies, perhaps The Penguin’s putrid embodiment of those traits will nudge them closer to seeing one hideous monster in the other.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024
All abuse power—telling propagandistic lies, breaking the law, rigging political institutions, empowering cronies, and unleashing violence—to achieve political dominance.
—Ferdinand Mount, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
Named after the address of Gibson’s childhood home in Castlewood, Virginia (population: 2,045), 49 Winchester came about when Gibson and his childhood cronies — bassist Chase Chafin, guitarist Bus Shelton, and Noah Patrick on pedal steel — began jamming on the front porch.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for crony 
Christopher Sabatini, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2024
For those who haven’t recognized the callous opportunism inherent to Donald Trump and his cronies, perhaps The Penguin’s putrid embodiment of those traits will nudge them closer to seeing one hideous monster in the other.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024
All abuse power—telling propagandistic lies, breaking the law, rigging political institutions, empowering cronies, and unleashing violence—to achieve political dominance.
—Ferdinand Mount, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
Named after the address of Gibson’s childhood home in Castlewood, Virginia (population: 2,045), 49 Winchester came about when Gibson and his childhood cronies — bassist Chase Chafin, guitarist Bus Shelton, and Noah Patrick on pedal steel — began jamming on the front porch.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for crony
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crony.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Crony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crony. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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