Sometimes people act like they are your friends, but they aren’t honest. They may smile at you but talk behind your back. These people are called fake friends. It can be hard to spot them right away. That’s why it helps to learn ways to describe them. In English, we often use idioms to talk about these situations.
Idioms are fun phrases that don’t mean exactly what the words say. They help people share feelings or ideas in a short way. In this article, you will learn idioms that describe fake friends. These idioms can help you understand how people act and how to talk about it clearly.
Idioms about Fake Friends
1. A wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning: Someone who seems nice but is not.
Samples: Lisa acted sweet, but she told everyone Mia’s secret. / That boy was a wolf in sheep’s clothing he smiled, then cheated in the game.
To Put it Another Way: He tricked us by pretending to be kind. / She looked friendly but was really mean inside.
2. Two-faced
Meaning: A person who says one thing to you and another behind your back.
Samples: Mark was two-faced. He laughed with me but told lies about me later. / Being two-faced is not a good way to treat friends.
To Put it Another Way: They act friendly but talk bad when you’re gone. / She says nice things, then says mean things later.
3. Talk behind your back
Meaning: Say bad things about you when you’re not there.
Samples: I thought they were my friends, but they talked behind my back. / He smiled in class but talked behind my back at lunch.
To Put it Another Way: They said one thing to me and another to others. / She gossiped when I wasn’t around.
4. Backstabber
Meaning: A person who betrays someone who trusts them.
Samples: Julie was my friend until she told my secret what a backstabber. / A backstabber will hurt you when you least expect it.
To Put it Another Way: She acted kind, then hurt me. / He turned on me after gaining my trust.
5. Fair-weather friend
Meaning: A friend who is only around during good times.
Samples: Ben was a fair-weather friend he left when I had a problem. / She was around when things were fun, but left when I was sad.
To Put it Another Way: They disappear when life gets hard. / He’s there for the fun, not the struggle.
6. Stab you in the back
Meaning: Hurt you secretly after pretending to be your friend.
Samples: I trusted her, then she stabbed me in the back. / Friends don’t stab each other in the back.
To Put it Another Way: He acted nice, then betrayed me. / She tricked me and broke my trust.
7. Snake in the grass
Meaning: A person who hides their bad side and waits to hurt you.
Samples: Be careful he’s a snake in the grass. / She seemed nice but was just waiting to cause trouble.
To Put it Another Way: They hide their true plans. / He’s sneaky and not to be trusted.
8. Throw you under the bus
Meaning: Blame or hurt someone to save themselves.
Samples: He threw me under the bus to get out of trouble. / Fake friends always throw others under the bus.
To Put it Another Way: She let me take the blame. / He blamed me to stay out of trouble.
9. Smile to your face, lie behind your back
Meaning: Pretend to be nice while being dishonest.
Samples: He smiled to my face but lied behind my back. / She was two-faced and fake.
To Put it Another Way: He acted friendly, but was not honest. / She said good things, then told lies.
10. Butter you up
Meaning: Say nice things to get what they want.
Samples: She buttered me up before asking for help. / He said I was the best, then asked for my answers.
To Put it Another Way: They flatter you to use you. / He gave compliments just to get something.
11. Play both sides
Meaning: Pretend to agree with everyone to avoid trouble.
Samples: He played both sides to stay out of the fight. / You can’t trust someone who plays both sides.
To Put it Another Way: She agreed with everyone to avoid taking a stand. / He just wanted to keep everyone happy, even by lying.
12. Cold shoulder
Meaning: Ignore someone on purpose.
Samples: After the argument, she gave me the cold shoulder. / He acted like I didn’t exist.
To Put it Another Way: She ignored me like I wasn’t there. / He turned away and didn’t talk to me.
13. Lead you on
Meaning: Make someone think you’re their friend, but you’re not.
Samples: She led me on, then stopped talking to me. / He made me think we were close, then left.
To Put it Another Way: They pretended to care, but didn’t. / She gave fake signs of friendship.
14. Pull the rug out
Meaning: Surprise someone by taking away support.
Samples: He pulled the rug out when I needed him most. / She acted like a friend, then dropped me.
To Put it Another Way: He left me hanging. / She gave up on me without warning.
15. Fake it till you make it
Meaning: Pretend to be something you’re not.
Samples: He faked being nice to fit in. / She wasn’t real, just trying to be liked.
To Put it Another Way: They act friendly just to look good. / She acted like she cared, but didn’t.
16. Wearing a mask
Meaning: Hiding true feelings or intentions.
Samples: She wore a mask of kindness but was mean inside. / He wore a mask and fooled us all.
To Put it Another Way: He wasn’t showing who he really was. / She hid her true self.
17. Blow hot and cold
Meaning: Be friendly one moment and rude the next.
Samples: One day he’s nice, the next he’s not. / She blows hot and cold hard to trust her.
To Put it Another Way: She changes how she acts all the time. / He isn’t steady or real.
18. Keep you at arm’s length
Meaning: Avoid getting too close to someone.
Samples: He kept me at arm’s length and never shared anything real. / She acted close but didn’t really let me in.
To Put it Another Way: They don’t let you get too close. / He acted like a friend but stayed distant.
19. Lip service
Meaning: Say nice things without meaning them.
Samples: She gave lip service about being sorry but didn’t act like it. / He said he cared, but didn’t show it.
To Put it Another Way: Their words didn’t match their actions. / She only said what I wanted to hear.
20. Cry crocodile tears
Meaning: Pretend to be sad but not really feel it.
Samples: He cried crocodile tears after hurting me. / She said sorry but didn’t mean it.
To Put it Another Way: Her sadness was fake. / He pretended to care.
21. Blow your cover
Meaning: Reveal the truth about someone pretending to be a friend.
Samples: When she told my secret, it blew her cover. / His mean comment blew his cover as a fake friend.
To Put it Another Way: The truth came out. / He got caught pretending to be nice.
22. Behind closed doors
Meaning: Something done secretly or in private.
Samples: They planned to leave me out behind closed doors. / Behind closed doors, they made fun of me.
To Put it Another Way: They were hiding what they were doing. / It happened in secret.
23. Bend over backward
Meaning: Try hard to help someone who doesn’t care back.
Samples: I bent over backward to help her, but she didn’t do the same. / He left after I helped him so much.
To Put it Another Way: I tried hard, but he didn’t care. / She didn’t return the favor.
24. Empty words
Meaning: Promises that are not kept.
Samples: She made big promises, but they were just empty words. / He said we were best friends, but it meant nothing.
To Put it Another Way: What they said didn’t match their actions. / Their promises were fake.
25. Play you like a fiddle
Meaning: Trick someone into doing what you want.
Samples: He played me like a fiddle to get my homework answers. / She used me to get what she wanted.
To Put it Another Way: They tricked me into helping them. / He used me like a toy.
26. Turn their back on you
Meaning: Ignore or leave someone in need.
Samples: My friend turned her back on me when I needed help. / He promised to stay but walked away.
To Put it Another Way: She left me during a hard time. / He gave up on our friendship.
27. Throw shade
Meaning: Say something mean in a quiet or sneaky way.
Samples: She threw shade at me in front of others. / He kept throwing shade without saying it out loud.
To Put it Another Way: She said rude things in a tricky way. / He was being mean without being direct.
28. Use you as a stepping stone
Meaning: Use someone to get ahead and then leave them.
Samples: He used me as a stepping stone to get popular. / She left after I helped her join the club.
To Put it Another Way: They climbed up by using me. / I helped them, and they moved on.
29. Fake it to fit in
Meaning: Pretend to like someone to be part of a group.
Samples: She faked being my friend just to fit in. / He acted friendly but only wanted to be cool.
To Put it Another Way: She didn’t really care. / He acted nice to look good.
30. Blow cover
Meaning: Expose someone pretending to be a friend.
Samples: I found out the truth and blew her cover. / When he lied, his cover was blown.
To Put it Another Way: His fake friendship was revealed. / Everyone saw the truth.
Find the Idioms about Fake Friends
Last week, Maya was excited for the Valentine’s Day dance. She thought her friend Jenna would go with her and hang out. But things didn’t go as planned.
At lunch, Jenna was sweet and smiled at Maya, but later, she talked behind her back to other kids. Maya didn’t know what to think. Jenna was acting two-faced. Then, the next day, Maya found out Jenna told someone else the secret she had shared. That felt like a stab in the back.
Jenna also started sitting with the popular group and gave Maya the cold shoulder. When Maya asked what was going on, Jenna just said, “Don’t be so sensitive,” and walked away. Maya felt like Jenna had thrown her under the bus to stay cool.
Later, one of the girls in the group told Maya that Jenna had called her “a baby” behind closed doors. That’s when Maya knew Jenna was a snake in the grass. She had buttered Maya up for weeks just to borrow her homework.
That night, Maya realized she didn’t need fair-weather friends. She wanted friends who were real.
Activity:
Can you find all 8 idioms about fake friends in the story?
List or underline them as you read.
Answer Key
- Talk behind her back
- Two-faced
- Stab in the back
- Cold shoulder
- Thrown her under the bus
- Behind closed doors
- Snake in the grass
- Buttered her up
Conclusion
Fake friends can be hard to spot at first. They may act kind but do hurtful things behind your back. Idioms help us talk about these tricky situations in simple ways.
By learning these phrases, you can better understand how people act and how to explain your feelings. True friends support you, not use you. Use what you’ve learned to tell the difference.
