Fake friends can be some of the most challenging people to deal with—they often hide their true intentions behind a friendly facade. To describe these complex relationships, English speakers have developed many idioms that capture the essence of betrayal, false loyalty, and deceit. This guide presents 45 unique idioms about fake friends, each with clear meanings, example sentences, and alternative expressions. After the idioms, you’ll find a fill-in-the-blank exercise to help you practice and remember these phrases.
45 Unique Idioms About Fake Friends with Meanings and Examples
- Wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning: Someone who pretends to be harmless but is dangerous.
Example: Don’t trust him; he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Other Ways to Say: Pretender, Hidden threat - Backstabber
Meaning: A person who betrays someone secretly.
Example: I thought she was a friend, but she turned out to be a backstabber.
Other Ways to Say: Betrayer, Traitor - Fair-weather friend
Meaning: A friend who is only around in good times.
Example: When things got tough, my fair-weather friends disappeared.
Other Ways to Say: Fake friend, Unreliable companion - Snake in the grass
Meaning: Someone who pretends to be trustworthy but is deceitful.
Example: Watch out for him; he’s a snake in the grass.
Other Ways to Say: Sneaky person, Hidden enemy - Two-faced
Meaning: Someone who acts friendly but is deceitful behind your back.
Example: She’s two-faced; she smiles at you but talks badly behind your back.
Other Ways to Say: Hypocrite, Double-dealer - Throw under the bus
Meaning: To betray someone to save oneself.
Example: He threw his teammate under the bus to avoid blame.
Other Ways to Say: Betray, Sacrifice - Stab in the back
Meaning: A betrayal by someone trusted.
Example: I never expected a stab in the back from my closest friend.
Other Ways to Say: Betray, Double-cross - Fake it till you make it
Meaning: Pretend to be confident or successful until you actually are.
Example: She faked it till she made it and eventually earned respect.
Other Ways to Say: Pretend, Act confident - Talk behind one’s back
Meaning: To say negative things about someone without them knowing.
Example: They often talk behind my back, but I don’t confront them.
Other Ways to Say: Gossip, Backbite - Friend of convenience
Meaning: Someone who is a friend only when it benefits them.
Example: He’s just a friend of convenience; he disappears when I need help.
Other Ways to Say: Fair-weather friend, Selfish companion - Blow hot and cold
Meaning: To be inconsistent in behavior or feelings.
Example: She blows hot and cold, so I never know where I stand.
Other Ways to Say: Unpredictable, Inconsistent - Friend in name only
Meaning: Someone who calls themselves a friend but isn’t loyal.
Example: He’s a friend in name only; he never supports me.
Other Ways to Say: Fake friend, Pretender - Green-eyed monster
Meaning: Jealousy or envy.
Example: The green-eyed monster showed when she saw her friend’s success.
Other Ways to Say: Jealous person, Envious - All bark and no bite
Meaning: Someone who threatens but doesn’t act.
Example: He’s all bark and no bite—he never follows through.
Other Ways to Say: Talkative but harmless, Empty threat - Cutthroat
Meaning: Ruthlessly competitive or selfish.
Example: The business world is full of cutthroat people.
Other Ways to Say: Ruthless, Merciless - Frenemy
Meaning: A person who pretends to be a friend but is actually an enemy.
Example: She’s my frenemy; we smile but secretly compete.
Other Ways to Say: Fake friend, Rival - Butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth
Meaning: Someone who appears innocent but isn’t.
Example: She acts like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth but spreads rumors.
Other Ways to Say: Pretender, Deceptive - Two-faced coin
Meaning: Someone with two contrasting personalities.
Example: He’s a two-faced coin—friendly one day, hostile the next.
Other Ways to Say: Hypocrite, Double-dealer - Keep friends close, enemies closer
Meaning: Stay near those who may harm you to watch them.
Example: He keeps his rivals close to avoid surprises.
Other Ways to Say: Be cautious, Stay alert - Bite the hand that feeds you
Meaning: To harm someone who helps you.
Example: Don’t bite the hand that feeds you by betraying your friends.
Other Ways to Say: Be ungrateful, Betray - Wolf pack mentality
Meaning: A group acting selfishly or maliciously together.
Example: The fake friends acted with a wolf pack mentality against me.
Other Ways to Say: Clique behavior, Group betrayal - Put on a front
Meaning: To pretend to be something you’re not.
Example: She puts on a front of kindness but is very selfish.
Other Ways to Say: Pretend, Act fake - Smile in your face, stab in your back
Meaning: Pretend to be friendly but betray you secretly.
Example: Beware of those who smile in your face and stab you in the back.
Other Ways to Say: Deceitful, Two-faced - Hidden agenda
Meaning: A secret plan or motive.
Example: He seemed helpful but had a hidden agenda.
Other Ways to Say: Secret plan, Sneaky motive - Throw shade
Meaning: To subtly insult or criticize.
Example: She threw shade at her colleague during the meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Insult subtly, Gossip - Jealous streak
Meaning: A tendency to be envious.
Example: His jealous streak made him resent his friends’ success.
Other Ways to Say: Envious, Resentful - Two can play that game
Meaning: You can respond to bad behavior in kind.
Example: When she spread rumors, I thought, “Two can play that game.”
Other Ways to Say: Retaliate, Fight back - Burn bridges
Meaning: To destroy relationships beyond repair.
Example: He burned bridges with his former friends after the argument.
Other Ways to Say: End relationships, Cut ties - Talk out of both sides of one’s mouth
Meaning: To say different things to different people dishonestly.
Example: She talks out of both sides of her mouth, so I don’t trust her.
Other Ways to Say: Be dishonest, Double talk - Turncoat
Meaning: Someone who switches loyalties.
Example: He was a turncoat who joined the rival group.
Other Ways to Say: Traitor, Defector - Sell someone out
Meaning: To betray someone for personal gain.
Example: She sold me out to get ahead.
Other Ways to Say: Betray, Double-cross - Cold shoulder
Meaning: To deliberately ignore someone.
Example: After the fight, she gave him the cold shoulder.
Other Ways to Say: Ignore, Snub - Backhanded compliment
Meaning: A comment that seems like praise but is actually an insult.
Example: Saying “You’re smart for your age” is a backhanded compliment.
Other Ways to Say: Insult disguised as praise - Bend the truth
Meaning: To lie or exaggerate.
Example: He bent the truth about his achievements.
Other Ways to Say: Lie, Exaggerate - Cry wolf
Meaning: To raise a false alarm.
Example: She cried wolf so many times that no one believed her.
Other Ways to Say: False alarm, Deceive - Cut someone off
Meaning: To end a relationship abruptly.
Example: He cut her off after the argument.
Other Ways to Say: End relationship, Ignore - Dish the dirt
Meaning: To gossip or reveal secrets.
Example: They love to dish the dirt about coworkers.
Other Ways to Say: Gossip, Spill secrets - Give someone the cold shoulder
Meaning: To deliberately ignore someone.
Example: After the fight, they gave him the cold shoulder.
Other Ways to Say: Ignore, Snub - Go behind someone’s back
Meaning: To do something secretly against someone.
Example: She went behind his back to get the promotion.
Other Ways to Say: Betray, Secretly act - Have a falling out
Meaning: To have a serious disagreement.
Example: They had a falling out over money.
Other Ways to Say: Disagree, Fight - Keep someone at arm’s length
Meaning: To avoid becoming too close.
Example: I keep him at arm’s length because I don’t trust him.
Other Ways to Say: Avoid closeness, Stay distant - Put someone on a pedestal
Meaning: To admire someone too much, ignoring faults.
Example: She put him on a pedestal, but he wasn’t perfect.
Other Ways to Say: Idolize, Overadmire - Rub salt in the wound
Meaning: To make a bad situation worse.
Example: Criticizing her after failure rubbed salt in the wound.
Other Ways to Say: Hurt more, Aggravate - Wear a mask
Meaning: To hide one’s true feelings or intentions.
Example: He wears a mask of friendliness but is very selfish.
Other Ways to Say: Pretend, Hide truth - False friend
Meaning: Someone who pretends to be a friend but is not.
Example: Beware of false friends who only want to use you.
Other Ways to Say: Fake friend, Pretender
Exercise: Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the blanks with the correct idiom from the list above.
- After the argument, she gave me the __________.
- Don’t trust him; he’s a real __________ who betrays friends.
- Lisa was only around when things were good; she’s a __________ friend.
- Mark smiled at me but later __________ me in the back.
- Sarah always __________ when she hears juicy gossip.
- He pretended to be nice but was really a __________ in sheep’s clothing.
- The manager decided to __________ the complaints and ignore them.
- They had a __________ over money and stopped talking.
- She __________ about her achievements to impress others.
- I keep him at __________ because I don’t trust him.
- Mike talks __________ and can’t be trusted.
- Jenny burned __________ with her old friends after the fight.
- He’s a __________ who pretends to be a friend but is really an enemy.
- Don’t __________ your friends to get ahead; it’s wrong.
Answers to the Exercise
- Cold shoulder
- Backstabber
- Fair-weather
- Stabbed
- Dishes the dirt
- Wolf
- Turn a deaf ear to
- Falling out
- Bent the truth
- Arm’s length
- Out of both sides of his mouth
- Bridges
- Frenemy
- Sell out
Conclusion
These idioms about fake friends give you the language to describe betrayal, jealousy, and false loyalty clearly and effectively. Understanding and using them will help you communicate about social situations with confidence and insight. Practice the exercise to master these phrases and better recognize the signs of fake friendships.