fake it
idiom
informal
: to pretend to be something that one is not or to have some knowledge or ability that one does not really have
He acts like he's my friend, but I can tell that he's just faking it.
He didn't know the words to the song, so he had to fake it.
Examples of fake it in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
If nature doesn’t make it, fake it Where Mother Nature fails to provide snow, human technology can step in — to a point.
—
Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Francesca would rather fake it than delve too deeply.
—Meg Walters, Glamour, 29 Jan. 2026
But this pressure to fake it to fit in is hurting their finances, reports Rachel Hale.
—Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
While that might sound counterintuitive, Vyas says this means A-players are secure enough not to try and fake it by offering uninformed advice.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2025
For now, the accent remains one of the last places Hollywood can’t fake it — and one of the few where audiences still demand the real thing.
—Remy Blumenfeld, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
In that gap, people 'fake it' to appear modern, efficient, and competitive.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
People know when your effort is performative, don’t fake it.
—Dr. Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
If the leaders aren’t thrilled, don’t force anyone to fake it!
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
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.
Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Francesca would rather fake it than delve too deeply.
—Meg Walters, Glamour, 29 Jan. 2026
But this pressure to fake it to fit in is hurting their finances, reports Rachel Hale.
—Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
While that might sound counterintuitive, Vyas says this means A-players are secure enough not to try and fake it by offering uninformed advice.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2025
For now, the accent remains one of the last places Hollywood can’t fake it — and one of the few where audiences still demand the real thing.
—Remy Blumenfeld, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
In that gap, people 'fake it' to appear modern, efficient, and competitive.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
People know when your effort is performative, don’t fake it.
—Dr. Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
If the leaders aren’t thrilled, don’t force anyone to fake it!
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fake it.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fake%20it. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
