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
While all these claims were eventually discredited, Setlow said many other spurious findings have been published in respected scientific journals.
—
F.d. Flam, Twin Cities, 6 Aug. 2025
Seismologists chalked up these spurious readings to instrument errors.
—Quanta Magazine, 4 Aug. 2025
The move has perturbed even some of Zelenskyy’s supporters — people who are simultaneously worried about the heavy-handed and potentially spurious crackdown on dissent, and that such criticisms against the Ukrainian leader might be used in bad faith by opponents in Moscow or Washington.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 19 July 2025
Non-residents can go hunting for memories (accurate or spurious) in the public-facing areas on the lower floors, the 4 percent of the building that has been brilliantly restored.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for spurious
F.d. Flam, Twin Cities, 6 Aug. 2025
Seismologists chalked up these spurious readings to instrument errors.
—Quanta Magazine, 4 Aug. 2025
The move has perturbed even some of Zelenskyy’s supporters — people who are simultaneously worried about the heavy-handed and potentially spurious crackdown on dissent, and that such criticisms against the Ukrainian leader might be used in bad faith by opponents in Moscow or Washington.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 19 July 2025
Non-residents can go hunting for memories (accurate or spurious) in the public-facing areas on the lower floors, the 4 percent of the building that has been brilliantly restored.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for spurious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurious
Adjective
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The indictment also accused the men of purchasing the counterfeit prescription drugs without proper paperwork, known as T3s/pedigrees, and reselling them to pharmacy customers.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
30 Oct. 2025
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Sophia Haley Marks, 20, was previously charged in 2023 after allegedly directly selling De Niro Rodriguez counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Several residents who work in the Georgia King Village area weighed in on the incident, including Harriette Guity, who told News12 that false reports based on AI could stretch first responders thin.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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Archaeologists concluded the structure was actually a false tomb, or a cenotaph, a type of burial monument erected to honor a deceased person buried elsewhere.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Trump has accused Maduro of being an illegitimate president after an election that most independent observers believe was stolen.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
25 Oct. 2025
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Many of the campaigns have been more classic—for example, earlier this year, a wave of fake GitHub pages appeared for LastPass, with hackers using SEO tactics on Google and Bing to boost the illegitimate pages.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Cybercriminals often use fake promotional emails or ads that look like real store offers.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The cohost brought up the astronaut during a discussion of Kim Kardashian's claim that the moon landing was fake.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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In those meetings, our would-be bosses told us to make mock phone calls to prospective clients to gauge our ability to convince strangers about the merit of an imaginary product.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
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Instead of focusing on industry experience, assess the transferable skills students build through schoolwork and first jobs, such as critical thinking and problem solving needed for a mock trial in a political science course.—
Allison Danielsen,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The rest of the bike is heavily customized with forged wheels, top-spec Brembo brakes, 43-mm Öhlins FGR250 forks, and an Öhlins TTX monoshock.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
29 Sep. 2025
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An email with a forged attachment may be followed by a phone call or even a video appearance that reinforces the deception.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For thousands of years, men in power have been responsible for catastrophe after genocide after unnatural disaster.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
5 Nov. 2025
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Scrutinize fine details like hair, fur, or repetitive patterns that may appear unnatural, and inspect for illogical lighting, shadows, or odd background elements.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Rookie first-round draft pick Nique Clifford has been upgraded to questionable after missing the past four games with a strained right hamstring.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
31 Oct. 2025
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Father Mother Sister Brother tells the story of estranged siblings who reunite after years apart and are forced to confront unresolved tensions and reevaluate their strained relationships with their emotionally distant parents.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spurious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurious. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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