fake out

verb

faked out; faking out; fakes out

transitive verb

: to deliberately mislead : fool, trick

Examples of fake out in a Sentence

my friends faked me out for a whole day, letting me think that they had forgotten my birthday used a quick between-the-legs dribble to fake out the flat-footed defender
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Old Dominion started fast, with quarterback Colton Joseph faking out the Hoosiers defense on the first offensive play of the game and sprinting 75 yards for a touchdown. Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025 The plan is to fake out territorial wasps who will avoid an area where other wasps already reside. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2025 Instead, Baty double-clutched as if trying to fake out Smith. Will Sammon, New York Times, 6 June 2025 Watching the audience involvement with each fake out before the inevitable death is part of the fun, and something Brener says is the franchise that made him as an executive fall in love with audience testing. Brian Welk, IndieWire, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for fake out

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fake out was in 1949

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fake out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fake%20out. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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