1
as in forging
to imitate or copy especially in order to deceive
an expert at counterfeiting money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in pretending
to present a false appearance of
managing to counterfeit a happy expression while visiting a sick friend
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of counterfeiting
And Cannon — who played with the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs — admitted to counterfeiting in the mid-1980s after a series of bad investments and debts left him broke.
—
Seung Min Kim, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Cannon, a star with the Houston Oilers and Oakland Raiders, admitted to counterfeiting in the mid-1980s.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Murder, kidnapping and probably counterfeiting are all still against the rules in college football.
—Mac Engel
january 13, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Jan. 2026
As such, more will be required than a World Cup ticket, particularly because physical tickets are vulnerable to counterfeiting, while electronic devices, which may ordinarily be a way to show authentic tickets, are usually forbidden in consular buildings where interviews take place.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
He and Baines were imprisoned and questioned for counterfeiting coins, and Marlowe was sent home.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Seung Min Kim, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Cannon, a star with the Houston Oilers and Oakland Raiders, admitted to counterfeiting in the mid-1980s.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Murder, kidnapping and probably counterfeiting are all still against the rules in college football.
—Mac Engel
january 13, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Jan. 2026
As such, more will be required than a World Cup ticket, particularly because physical tickets are vulnerable to counterfeiting, while electronic devices, which may ordinarily be a way to show authentic tickets, are usually forbidden in consular buildings where interviews take place.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
He and Baines were imprisoned and questioned for counterfeiting coins, and Marlowe was sent home.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterfeiting
Verb
-
With the outbreak of the Iran war in February 2026, Stubb has continued to insist that diplomacy and international cooperation are the true means for ending armed conflict and forging new alliances to ensure lasting peace.—
L. Sue Baugh,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
7 May 2026
-
The bloc has been forging new trade relationships, like an expansive trade agreement with the European Union, in the wake of the tariff turmoil that has seen many of America’s closest trade ties unravel.—
Kate Nishimura,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Herbert's not going through the motions and pretending to be a relationship with a pop singer like some aging tight end.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
-
Washington state’s House Bill 2225, due to come into effect in January 2027, will explicitly ban manipulative techniques such as excessive praise, pretending to feel distress, encouraging isolation from family, or creating overdependent relationships.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Many ships still in the Persian Gulf switched off their AIS location transponders, or were faking their locations this week, a CBS News analysis found Wednesday.—
May 6,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
-
But faking photos has never been so fast and cheap.—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
That point was acknowledged immediately with the title track – not played since 2009 – opening the show as motion-simulating video tilted and zipped through a vibrant carnival.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
-
Separate tests examined how the thermal protection system performs when its surface is damaged, simulating impacts from debris or micrometeoroids.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
With a razor-thin majority, the Speaker can afford to lose only two GOP votes on any party-line bill, assuming that all members are present and Democrats are united in opposition.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Providers also can fall victim to inadvertent bias, assuming a young, otherwise healthy patient must be dealing with something other than shingles.—
Alyssa Sparacino,
Glamour,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The city also hasn’t released a calculation of how many new units would be required if SB 79 ends up affecting 52 bus stops instead of four.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Their prevalence is also expected to expand in 2026, according to the Companion Animal Parasite Council, which forecasts the prevalence of certain diseases affecting dogs across the United States with more than 94% accuracy.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counterfeiting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterfeiting. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
