Idioms help us express complicated feelings in simple, creative ways—and when it comes to fake friends, we’ve got a lot of feelings to talk about. Whether someone’s being two-faced, backstabbing, or just pretending to care, there’s probably an idiom out there that says exactly what you’re thinking (without needing to name names).
Fake friends show up when it’s convenient, disappear when things get tough, and leave you wondering if the friendship was ever real to begin with. That’s why understanding these phrases can give you the words to describe betrayal, manipulation, and those “so-called friends” who are only around for the good times. In this article, we’ll explore 50 powerful idioms that reveal the truth about fake friendships—what they look like, how they feel, and why it’s important to spot them early.
Each idiom includes its meaning, an example sentence, and other ways to say it, so you can use them in everyday conversations, social media captions, or even just to vent with a little extra flair. Let’s dive into the shady world of fake friends and the language that calls them out.
Idioms About Fake Friends
1. A wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning: Someone who seems nice but is secretly dangerous or dishonest.
In a Sentence: I trusted her completely, but she turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Other Ways to Say: Pretender, Two-faced person
2. Talk behind someone’s back
Meaning: To say negative things about someone when they’re not around.
In a Sentence: I found out my friend was talking behind my back, and it hurt more than I expected.
Other Ways to Say: Gossip, Betray with words
3. Throw someone under the bus
Meaning: To betray someone to protect yourself or gain favor.
In a Sentence: He threw me under the bus during the meeting just to impress the teacher.
Other Ways to Say: Betray, Backstab
4. Two-faced
Meaning: Someone who acts friendly to your face but talks badly about you behind your back.
In a Sentence: I can’t trust her anymore—she’s way too two-faced.
Other Ways to Say: Fake, Dishonest
5. Fair-weather friend
Meaning: Someone who is only around when things are good.
In a Sentence: He was a fair-weather friend who disappeared when I really needed help.
Other Ways to Say: Part-time friend, Conditional companion
6. Snake in the grass
Meaning: A sneaky person who pretends to be your friend while secretly betraying you.
In a Sentence: I didn’t expect her to spread those rumors—she was a snake in the grass all along.
Other Ways to Say: Secret enemy, Hidden betrayer
7. Backstabber
Meaning: Someone who betrays you while pretending to be supportive.
In a Sentence: Being friends with a backstabber is worse than having an open enemy.
Other Ways to Say: Traitor, Two-faced friend
8. Butter someone up
Meaning: To be overly nice to someone just to get what you want.
In a Sentence: She tried to butter me up with compliments before asking for a favor.
Other Ways to Say: Flatter, Be fake nice
9. Stab someone in the back
Meaning: To betray someone unexpectedly.
In a Sentence: I helped him with everything, and he stabbed me in the back when I least expected it.
Other Ways to Say: Betray, Turn against
10. Play both sides
Meaning: To pretend to agree with two people who are against each other.
In a Sentence: He was playing both sides—acting like a friend to me and my enemy at the same time.
Other Ways to Say: Be two-faced, Be disloyal
11. Blow hot and cold
Meaning: To be very friendly one moment and distant the next.
In a Sentence: One day she’s super sweet, and the next she ignores me—it’s like she blows hot and cold.
Other Ways to Say: Be unpredictable, Send mixed signals
12. Keep someone at arm’s length
Meaning: To avoid becoming too close or emotionally involved.
In a Sentence: After she lied to me, I decided to keep her at arm’s length.
Other Ways to Say: Stay distant, Keep your guard up
13. Cry crocodile tears
Meaning: To fake sadness or emotion.
In a Sentence: She acted upset when I called her out, but those were just crocodile tears.
Other Ways to Say: Fake feelings, Pretend to care
14. Be all talk
Meaning: To make promises but never follow through.
In a Sentence: He said he’d always be there for me, but he’s all talk.
Other Ways to Say: Empty promises, Say but not do
15. Lead someone on
Meaning: To mislead someone into thinking you care more than you actually do.
In a Sentence: I thought we were close friends, but she was just leading me on the whole time.
Other Ways to Say: Mislead, Pretend to care
16. Pretend to be someone’s friend
Meaning: To act friendly while secretly not liking or caring about someone.
In a Sentence: It hurts more when someone pretends to be your friend just to use you.
Other Ways to Say: Fake friendship, Act nice for personal gain
17. Blow smoke
Meaning: To give false praise or flatter someone dishonestly.
In a Sentence: I could tell she was just blowing smoke to stay on my good side.
Other Ways to Say: Give fake compliments, Sweet-talk with no meaning
18. Lip service
Meaning: To say supportive things without meaning or acting on them.
In a Sentence: He gave me a lot of lip service about being there for me but vanished when I actually needed help.
Other Ways to Say: Empty words, Insincere promises
19. Fake it till you make it
Meaning: To pretend to be something you’re not until you become it—often used positively, but with fake friends, it’s about pretending to care.
In a Sentence: She faked being kind and supportive, but I knew it was all part of the “fake it till you make it” routine.
Other Ways to Say: Act like something you’re not, Put on a show
20. Pull the wool over someone’s eyes
Meaning: To deceive or trick someone.
In a Sentence: I didn’t see it coming—she really pulled the wool over my eyes for months.
Other Ways to Say: Mislead, Hide the truth
21. Ride someone’s coattails
Meaning: To use someone else’s success for personal gain.
In a Sentence: He was only hanging around me to ride my coattails and get attention.
Other Ways to Say: Use someone, Take advantage of success
22. Fake as a three-dollar bill
Meaning: Extremely fake or not genuine at all.
In a Sentence: Her whole “best friend forever” attitude was fake as a three-dollar bill.
Other Ways to Say: Totally fake, Not real
23. Wearing a mask
Meaning: Hiding your true intentions or personality.
In a Sentence: Around me, he was all smiles, but I could tell he was just wearing a mask.
Other Ways to Say: Hide your true self, Be deceptive
24. Talk a good game
Meaning: To sound convincing but not act accordingly.
In a Sentence: She talks a good game about loyalty, but her actions say otherwise.
Other Ways to Say: Say the right things, Empty promises
25. A backhanded compliment
Meaning: A comment that seems nice but is actually insulting.
In a Sentence: “You look great—for once” was such a backhanded compliment.
Other Ways to Say: Insult disguised as praise, Passive-aggressive remark
26. Blow things out of proportion
Meaning: To exaggerate things in a way that causes drama or conflict.
In a Sentence: She always blows things out of proportion, especially when she wants to make me look bad.
Other Ways to Say: Exaggerate, Make a big deal out of nothing
27. Green with envy
Meaning: Extremely jealous, especially of someone’s success or happiness.
In a Sentence: She acted happy for me, but I knew she was green with envy.
Other Ways to Say: Jealous, Envious
28. Stir the pot
Meaning: To cause drama or start trouble on purpose.
In a Sentence: He likes to stir the pot, even when there’s no reason for conflict.
Other Ways to Say: Create drama, Provoke problems
29. Play the victim
Meaning: To pretend to be hurt or innocent to avoid blame or gain sympathy.
In a Sentence: After she got caught lying, she tried to play the victim like it was all my fault.
Other Ways to Say: Act innocent, Pretend to be wronged
30. Use someone as a stepping stone
Meaning: To use someone to get ahead, then leave them behind.
In a Sentence: He used me as a stepping stone to boost his popularity and then cut me off.
Other Ways to Say: Use and discard, Climb over someone
31. Turn on someone
Meaning: To suddenly become hostile or disloyal to someone.
In a Sentence: I thought we were best friends until she turned on me over something small.
Other Ways to Say: Betray, Switch sides
32. Wear a false face
Meaning: To pretend to be something you’re not, especially in relationships.
In a Sentence: He was wearing a false face the whole time we were friends.
Other Ways to Say: Be fake, Put on an act
33. Stab you with a smile
Meaning: To hurt you while pretending to be kind.
In a Sentence: Fake friends know how to stab you with a smile and still call it love.
Other Ways to Say: Betray with kindness, Hide cruelty behind charm
34. Just along for the ride
Meaning: To be part of something without contributing, just for personal benefit.
In a Sentence: She never helped with the project—she was just along for the ride.
Other Ways to Say: Tag along, Not truly involved
35. Speak with a forked tongue
Meaning: To say one thing but mean another; to lie or deceive.
In a Sentence: I stopped trusting him after realizing he spoke with a forked tongue.
Other Ways to Say: Be dishonest, Mislead
36. Smile to your face, insult behind your back
Meaning: Pretend to be friendly while secretly being cruel.
In a Sentence: That kind of friend smiles to your face and tears you down behind your back.
Other Ways to Say: Be two-faced, Fake kindness
37. Run hot and cold
Meaning: Be inconsistent in how you treat someone.
In a Sentence: One day she acts like my best friend, the next she ignores me—she runs hot and cold.
Other Ways to Say: Be moody, Act unpredictable
38. Bait and switch
Meaning: To lure someone in with false friendliness, then betray or deceive them.
In a Sentence: She acted super sweet at first, but it turned out to be a bait and switch.
Other Ways to Say: Fake welcome, Trap someone emotionally
39. Sell someone out
Meaning: To betray someone’s trust for personal gain.
In a Sentence: I confided in him, and he sold me out for attention.
Other Ways to Say: Betray, Break trust
40. Fake it for the crowd
Meaning: To pretend to care or act friendly in public only for appearances.
In a Sentence: She hugs me in front of others but ignores me when we’re alone—she’s just faking it for the crowd.
Other Ways to Say: Perform for others, Be fake in public
41. Have a hidden agenda
Meaning: To pretend to be helpful or kind, but have secret reasons.
In a Sentence: I realized he wasn’t helping me out of kindness—he had a hidden agenda.
Other Ways to Say: Be manipulative, Secret motive
42. Be sweet as pie, but sharp as a knife
Meaning: To act overly sweet while being emotionally dangerous.
In a Sentence: She’s sweet as pie around others but sharp as a knife when no one’s looking.
Other Ways to Say: Passive-aggressive, Masked cruelty
43. Use someone like a doormat
Meaning: To treat someone poorly while pretending the relationship is fine.
In a Sentence: He kept using me like a doormat while calling me his “best friend.”
Other Ways to Say: Take advantage, Walk all over
44. Ride the wave until it crashes
Meaning: To stay friends while it’s fun or convenient, then disappear when problems arise.
In a Sentence: She rode the wave of our friendship until it crashed—and then vanished.
Other Ways to Say: Leave when things get hard, Be opportunistic
45. Smile with their teeth, not their eyes
Meaning: To fake friendliness with no real emotion.
In a Sentence: You can tell a fake friend—they smile with their teeth, not their eyes.
Other Ways to Say: Forced friendliness, Fake emotions
46. Ghost someone
Meaning: To suddenly stop all communication without explanation.
In a Sentence: He ghosted me after I confronted him about his lies.
Other Ways to Say: Cut off contact, Disappear
47. Bite the hand that feeds you
Meaning: To hurt someone who has helped you.
In a Sentence: I was always there for her, and she bit the hand that fed her.
Other Ways to Say: Be ungrateful, Turn against support
48. Use someone like a pawn
Meaning: To manipulate someone for your own benefit.
In a Sentence: He used me like a pawn to get close to someone else.
Other Ways to Say: Manipulate, Play someone
49. Be in it for the clout
Meaning: To be friends only for attention or popularity.
In a Sentence: I thought we were close, but she was only in it for the clout.
Other Ways to Say: Chase status, Use for popularity
50. Fake friend alert
Meaning: A humorous way to call out someone acting friendly but clearly being fake.
In a Sentence: When she complimented me and insulted me in the same breath, I was like—fake friend alert!
Other Ways to Say: Red flag, Warning sign
Exercise to Practice
Fill in the blanks:
- She turned out to be a _______ in sheep’s clothing who fooled everyone at first.
- He always smiles to your face but talks _______ your back the moment you leave.
- They were only _______ for the clout, not because they cared.
- He totally _______ me under the bus during the group project.
- That compliment was so fake—it was a _______ compliment.
- She tried to _______ the pot by telling both sides different stories.
- He was _______ hot and cold, and I never knew where I stood with him.
- You can tell she’s not genuine—she only smiles with her _______, not her eyes.
- She tried to _______ me up before asking for another favor.
- I was shocked when he _______ the hand that fed him after all the help I gave.
Answers:
wolf, behind, in it, threw, backhanded, stir, running, teeth, buttered, bit
Conclusion
Dealing with fake friends can be confusing, disappointing, and downright painful—but learning how to spot the signs early can save you from heartache down the line. These idioms give you the tools to describe those shady situations and toxic friendships with clarity and confidence. Whether you’ve been betrayed, used, or ghosted, these expressions help turn your experience into wisdom—and maybe even a clever comeback or two.
Keep growing, protect your peace, and remember: real friends lift you up, not tear you down. Save this list, share it with someone who needs it, and use your words to rise above the fakes.
