phoney up
C1 informal separable transitive
In simple words
To pretend something is real when it isn't, or to make a fake version of something.
Meanings
1 C1
idiomatic
informal
To falsify or fabricate something, such as a document, excuse, or piece of evidence.
"He tried to phoney up his qualifications to get the job, but was caught during the background check."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
British spelling variant of 'phony up'. Quite rare and informal. More common in American English in its 'phony up' spelling. Not appropriate in formal contexts. 'Fake', 'fabricate', or 'forge' are more widely used alternatives.
Commonly used with
documents excuse alibi evidence credentials story
Forms
Base
phoney up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
phoneys up
he/she/it
Past simple
phoneyed up
yesterday
Past participle
phoneyed up
have + pp
-ing form
phoneying up
continuous
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Synonyms
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