fudge

1 of 2

verb

ˈfəj 

fudged; fudging

transitive verb

1

a

: to devise as a substitute : fake

b

: falsify

fudged the figures

2

: to fail to come to grips with : dodge

fudged the issue

intransitive verb

1

: to exceed the proper bounds or limits of something

feel that the author has fudged a little on the … rules for crime fiction

—Newsweek

also : cheat

fudging on an exam

2

: to fail to perform as expected

3

: to avoid commitment : hedge

the government's tendency to fudge on delicate matters of policy

—Claire Sterling

fudge

2 of 2

noun

1

: foolish nonsense

—often used interjectionally to express annoyance, disappointment, or disbelief

2

: a soft creamy candy made typically of sugar, milk, butter, and flavoring

3

: something that is fudged

especially : a bending of rules or a compromise

Synonyms

Verb

• equivocate
• hedge
• pussyfoot
• tergiversate
• waffle
• weasel

Noun

• applesauce [slang]
• balderdash
• baloney
• boloney
• beans
• bilge
• blah
• blah-blah
• blarney
• blather
• blatherskite
• blither
• bosh
• bull [slang]
• bunk
• bunkum
• buncombe
• claptrap
• codswallop [British]
• crapola [slang]
• crock
• drivel
• drool
• fiddle
• fiddle-faddle
• fiddlesticks
• flannel [British]
• flapdoodle
• folderol
• falderal
• folly
• foolishness
• garbage
• guff
• hogwash
• hokeypokey
• hokum
• hoodoo
• hooey
• horsefeathers [slang]
• humbug
• humbuggery
• jazz
• malarkey
• malarky
• moonshine
• muck
• nerts [slang]
• nonsense
• nuts
• piffle
• poppycock
• punk
• rot
• rubbish
• senselessness
• silliness
• slush
• stupidity
• taradiddle
• tarradiddle
• tommyrot
• tosh
• trash
• trumpery
• twaddle

Examples of fudge in a Sentence

Verb

Politicians have been known to fudge the issues.

The treasurer fudged the figures.

It was later discovered that the researchers had fudged their data.

Noun

We bought three kinds of fudge.

His response to these charges has been a series of denials and fudges.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

These moments of creative license leave the reader wondering what else Paulson has fudged. —Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024

Strong hyping of precise numbers based on weak evidence and lots of hedging and fudging. —Leif Wenar, WIRED, 27 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

1674, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1766, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing fudge

• fudge factor
• hot fudge
• hot fudge sauce
• hot fudge sundae

Kids Definition

fudge

1 of 2 verb

ˈfəj 

fudged; fudging

1

: to change (something) in order to trick people

fudged the figures

2

: to avoid being open or direct : hedge

politicians fudging on the issues

fudge

2 of 2 noun

1

: foolish nonsense

2

: a soft creamy candy made typically of milk, sugar, butter, and flavoring