1
as in counterfeit
being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud
a spurious Picasso painting that wouldn't have fooled an art expert for a second
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in false
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
claimed that the governor's election-year enthusiasm for conservation was spurious, since he had cut funding for state parks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in illegitimate
born to a father and mother who are not married
the spurious son of Charles II, the Duke of Monmouth would later mount a rebellion in a disastrous attempt to claim the throne
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spurious
Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s 80-year-old former leader, is serving a 27-year prison term on charges widely viewed as spurious and politically motivated.
—
ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Using that spurious justification, ICE agents have detained, assaulted, and even — in the case of Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti — killed people for recording.
—Andrew Case, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
This is spurious and completely unfounded.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2026
The spurious designation of Qassem Soleimani as a global terrorist, something long requested by Benjamin Netanyahu, gave the green light for the expansion of the designation to other entities long held off from the moniker out of fear of its implications.
—Séamus Malekafzali, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spurious
ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Using that spurious justification, ICE agents have detained, assaulted, and even — in the case of Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti — killed people for recording.
—Andrew Case, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
This is spurious and completely unfounded.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2026
The spurious designation of Qassem Soleimani as a global terrorist, something long requested by Benjamin Netanyahu, gave the green light for the expansion of the designation to other entities long held off from the moniker out of fear of its implications.
—Séamus Malekafzali, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spurious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurious
Adjective
-
The counterfeit surgeon was waiting for his Starbucks order at JFK when Port Authority cops caught up with him.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2026
-
Lori Ann Talens, of Virginia Beach, Virgina, used a computer to design, create and produce a wide variety of counterfeit coupons in her Virginia Beach home, according to court documents.—
Charlotte Hazard,
Baltimore Sun,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
According to the department, at the time of the chase, Buban had multiple outstanding arrest warrants against him, including for being a felon in possession of a firearm, taking a vehicle without consent, false impersonation and petty theft.—
Kassia Bonesteel,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
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According to Peña, a producer relayed the false information to her through an earpiece during a live broadcast.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Some fraudsters run an illegitimate DME company and get a doctor to prescribe the equipment.—
Janice Neumann,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
-
After testing against other economic variables that may have contributed to higher costs, and comparing housing activity in high-fraud ZIP codes to low-fraud ones in the same county, the researchers found illegitimate PPP loans to be one of the core drivers of housing prices.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Authorities say the operation powered fake websites built to steal credit card numbers, passwords and other personal information.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
-
None of that makes the project fake.—
Gabriel Alin Zainescu,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
After a season of travel, video and phone calls and texts speaking with agents, scouts, coaches, family members and those around these players, here is my final mock draft for the 2026 NHL Draft.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
-
The mock-neck adds a chic touch, and the color selection is genuinely impressive.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
22 June 2026
Adjective
-
He was charged with possession of a forged license plate, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, failure to stop for police, traffic offenses, and an outstanding warrant out of Natick District Court.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
16 May 2026
-
She was additionally found guilty of insurance fraud for taking out a $100,000 insurance policy on her husband's life with his forged signature and for submitting a claim following his death.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
The problem is, mainstream science and society have been slow to move away from the narrative that all animals copulate only for reproduction, any same-sex activity is purely anomalous (and unnatural), and every species is male-dominated.—
Rachel Brodsky,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2026
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While there are certain products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind.—
Jailynn Taylor,
Allure,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
Austin Nieves, a recent transplant to the area and the man who had brought this brave group together, broke the strained silence by handing out beers.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Dani provides the voiceover, filled with strained metaphors about earthquakes and sermons on the importance of summer, but the pretense that the dialogue is taken from his interrogation is quickly abandoned.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spurious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurious. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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