fake out

verb

Definition of fake outnext
1
as in to trick
to cause to believe what is untrue my friends faked me out for a whole day, letting me think that they had forgotten my birthday

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to evade
to elude (an opponent in a sports contest) by making a deceptive or agile movement used a quick between-the-legs dribble to fake out the flat-footed defender

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 out Asked about the fake out, Mara grinned. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026 After the match, Kidd and Finlay, along with Clark Connors, attack Cassidy and Allin until Roderick Strong walks down to the ring, fakes out The Dogs and helps Cassidy and Allin get retribution. — Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 12 Mar. 2026 In the 80th minute, Denkey received an assist from Ender Echenique, faking out goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos before finishing with his left foot between a pair of defenders. — ABC News, 21 Feb. 2026 Drake preferred to fake out a defender and run right by them. — Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 3 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fake out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fake out
  1. trick
  2. evade
  3. fool
  4. fake
  5. deceive
  6. string along
  7. suck in
Verb
  • Giovannoni showed that the free, open-source tool successfully tricked scammers into giving away their own private personal information, such as phone numbers, addresses, and even bank account details.
    — Kim Key, PC Magazine, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Hackers have learned to exploit the public's anxiety about cybersecurity failures to trick people into revealing personal data.
    — Evan Zimmer, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of trick
Verb
  • Communication can be real-time or asynchronous, often using stealthy methods like invisible text or metadata to evade human detection.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Neo joins a rebellion led by Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) while evading Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving).
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of evade
Verb
  • Because being fooled once is a shame; being fooled twice — that’s moronic.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Why fake rental listings fool smart people Rental scammers understand timing.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of fool
Verb
  • Prosecutors Jennifer Sprague and Shanan Buckingham said Clancy planned the murders before faking a suicide attempt.
    — Penny Kmitt, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • One of the loudest, and most bizarre, assessments even accused the actor of faking her pregnancy with a prosthetic.
    — Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of fake
Verb
  • Such a lease, however, would disqualify a hospice from obtaining a license, and a provider would need to intentionally deceive inspectors to disguise a day office, experts said.
    — Jason Henry, Daily News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Someone who has maintained an entire second family has demonstrated a willingness to deceive you over an extended period of time.
    — Jann Blackstone, Boston Herald, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of deceive
Verb
  • Clients appreciate getting a clear answer instead of being strung along.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 29 July 2026
  • The small fragments of colorful glass, strung along together, produce soothing sounds, their tinkling notes wafting through the air alongside a chorus of windchimes and the sweet scent of plumeria blooming in the garden.
    — Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2026
Definition of string along
Verb
  • The front of the skimmer has an impeller that sucks in debris and holds it in a removable four-liter basket with a screen that captures particles as small as 150 micrometers (uM) such as hair, sand, and dust.
    — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026
  • As the trawler floated around Lake Jesup, the hose sucked in thousands of gallons of the murky beige-and-green water, and siphoned it into a holding tank.
    — Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
Definition of suck in

Browse Nearby Words

faked out
fake out
faker
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Cite this Entry

“Fake out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fake%20out. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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