1
as in erroneous
not being in agreement with what is true
early reports about the explosion contained much false information
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in faux
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials
George Washington's false teeth were not made of wood but of elephant ivory and cow's teeth
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in counterfeit
being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud
arrested for selling false ID cards to teenagers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
so much of the sympathy that the widow received was false and hypocritical, since it came from people who never liked her husband in the first place
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in fraudulent
marked by, based on, or done by the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
false advertising that claimed that the vegetables were organically grown when they weren't
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6
as in traitorous
not true in one's allegiance to someone or something
false friends who deserted the prizefighter when all his money was gone
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in misleading
tending or having power to deceive
it turned out that the con man had made false promises of marriage to a dozen women
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of false
Prosecutors say Comey lied about authorizing an FBI source to speak to the media about the investigation and obstructed Congress by making false statements intended to impede lawmakers’ probe into the FBI’s actions, according to a copy of the indictment obtained by The Washington Post.
—
Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
At that time he was found guilty of five of six counts of felony disorderly conduct and making four false police reports.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 26 Sep. 2025
Each of the two counts against Comey carries a maximum five-year sentence if he is convicted of making a false statement to Congress and obstructing Congress.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
Today's top stories A grand jury in Virginia has indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of obstructing justice and making a false statement to Congress.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for false
Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
At that time he was found guilty of five of six counts of felony disorderly conduct and making four false police reports.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 26 Sep. 2025
Each of the two counts against Comey carries a maximum five-year sentence if he is convicted of making a false statement to Congress and obstructing Congress.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
Today's top stories A grand jury in Virginia has indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of obstructing justice and making a false statement to Congress.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for false
Recent Examples of Synonyms for false
Adjective
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Vedra and other debt law experts said a high rate of default judgments indicates a system that favors the pursuers over the pursued — and increases the chances someone will be harmed by an erroneous bill.—
Rae Ellen Bichell,
Fortune,
29 Sep. 2025
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And in 2010’s Flash Crash, algorithmic trading bots created a feedback loop of erroneous trades, wiping out nearly $1 trillion in market value in minutes.—
Steve Booren,
Denver Post,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The makeup was similar to the high glam Williams has donned before, comprised of a bright undereye, bronze and mauve shadow across her crease, faux lashes, warm-toned contour under her cheekbones, an earthy brown lip liner and nude lipstick.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
25 Sep. 2025
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Crafted from faux oak leaves, pumpkins, and foliage, this pick won’t wilt or rot after several months outside, and it can even be packed away in storage to use again next year.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In some ways, teens today are encountering a more enticing and dangerous system than the generations that came before them, one where counterfeit Oxycodone, Xanax, Percocet and Adderall are accessible on platforms like Facebook, Snapchat and Telegram.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
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Behind counterfeit fashion are men, women and children coerced into making, distributing or selling fake goods — often at great personal risk and with little gain.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Owain Jones of Pro Football Network has suggested Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer as a potential option for the Steelers in his new mock draft.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
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New research found that the technology underpinning a slew of artificial intelligence models is now advanced enough to pass even the most difficult – Level III – mock exams in a matter of minutes.—
Leslie Picker,
CNBC,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The notion that vaccines cause autism was born out of a fraudulent 1998 study, hypothesizing that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine caused intestinal inflammation, which, in turn, led to the development of autism.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
26 Sep. 2025
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All her fraudulent welfare handouts ceased in January 2025.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Clarisse looks intimidating climbing out of a boat, as does Bushnell’s traitorous Luke, who wields a sharp-looking knife.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
24 July 2025
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There's a delicious whodunit aspect to it, too, as the list of five potentially traitorous suspects includes the operative's own high-profile wife (Cate Blanchett).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
To be fair, that number is slightly misleading.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
30 Sep. 2025
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But the content, murky and misleading, is designed to trick Californians into voting for a power grab.—
Laura Koval,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The President referred to inaccurate information about global cooling theories in the early 20th century and cast doubt on global warming and climate change.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
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The launch was a disaster — users hated the new bot, which generated inaccurate results and appeared unable to replicate some of the tasks that earlier versions could execute.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“False.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/false. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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