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fake

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noun

fake

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verb

1
as in to counterfeit
to imitate or copy especially in order to deceive pranksters faked giant footprints and then claimed that they had seen Bigfoot

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
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as in to evade
to elude (an opponent in a sports contest) by making a deceptive or agile movement the running back faked the defense by stepping to his left and then quickly cutting to the right

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fake different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of fake are counterfeit, fraud, humbug, imposture, and sham. While all these words mean "a thing made to seem other than it is," fake implies an imitation of or substitution for the genuine but does not necessarily imply dishonesty.

these jewels are fakes; the real ones are in the vault

When could counterfeit be used to replace fake?

The meanings of counterfeit and fake largely overlap; however, counterfeit applies especially to the close imitation of something valuable.

20-dollar bills that were counterfeits

When is fraud a more appropriate choice than fake?

The synonyms fraud and fake are sometimes interchangeable, but fraud usually implies a deliberate perversion of the truth.

the diary was exposed as a fraud

In what contexts can humbug take the place of fake?

While the synonyms humbug and fake are close in meaning, humbug suggests elaborate pretense usually so flagrant as to be transparent.

creating publicity by foisting humbugs on a gullible public

When is it sensible to use imposture instead of fake?

The words imposture and fake are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, imposture applies to any situation in which a spurious object or performance is passed off as genuine.

their claim of environmental concern is an imposture

When would sham be a good substitute for fake?

Although the words sham and fake have much in common, sham applies to fraudulent imitation of a real thing or action.

condemned the election as a sham

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fake
Adjective
The four allegedly used a shell company and fake invoices to skim more than $1 million from donations. Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025 This question of what is real and what is fake seems key again today in the age of social media and fake news. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
Numerous fakes — most bearing watermarks for OpenAI’s text-to-video model Sora — have appeared online showing fake scenarios like severe flooding, images of sharks and people partying. Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025 And while those in the field have warned of the risks for years, today’s fakes are growing both more difficult to distinguish from reality and easier to make. Brady Africk, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
But today, his achievement is widely believed to have been faked. Owen Clarke, Outside, 30 Oct. 2025 Although the stage musical only shows Dorothy’s shadow from the other side of a scrim, her inclusion in the story is pivotal for Elphaba, who fakes her death after the Wizard of Oz protagonist throws a bucket of water on the Wicked Witch of the West. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fake
Adjective
  • The company also underscores its crypto wallet’s minimalist threat surface, durability, and counterfeit checks.
    Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
  • While it is considered safe, unapproved injections or counterfeit injections can come with serious side effects, including botulism, which can be fatal.
    Jenni Fink, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The Hidden Costs of Conventional Pest Control Conventional pest control methods often rely heavily on synthetic chemical use to provide homeowners with quick solutions to pest problems.
    Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
  • But the actual technology itself, the idea of artificial intelligence and synthetic creations that are lifelike and seem real — that’s an absolute threat.
    Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • What really makes the dress stand out is its chic details, which includes a structured seam around the waist, gold-tone decorative buttons, and a mock neckline.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The eye-rolling, groaning, mock-despair brings the group together.
    Big Think, Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • James Watson, who co-discovered the double-helix structure of DNA in 1953, has died at age 97.
    Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Using what was known about biology at the time and X-ray images, the two determined that DNA had a double-helix structure - like a twisted ladder, with each rung made up of a pair of chemicals.
    Reuters, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • But Kim Kardashian amplified a long-running conspiracy theory that the moon landing was a hoax that NASA staged.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Jones is a conspiracy theorist who said the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax staged by crisis actors.
    Scott Wartman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • New York Attorney General Letitia James asked a federal judge Friday to dismiss a mortgage fraud case against her, calling it a vindictive and politically motivated prosecution brought at the behest of a president who regards her as an enemy.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Quick action can sometimes limit further loss or help investigators trace the fraud.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The concert was life-changing for Rea, who got to meet Osbourne there and forge a friendship that would last until the singer’s death this past summer.
    Stephen Rea, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2025
  • The drummer/producer of The Roots first met D’Angelo in the mid-1990s and the two forged a musical bond that helped shape the sound of that era.
    Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • However, Cena outsmarted him by grabbing the chair, throwing it next to Dom, and pretending to be down on the mat.
    Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2025
  • In the 43-part series, Monroe calls several churches and other places of worship pretending to be a mother in need of formula for her baby.
    Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fake. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

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