1
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
a crafty child given to frequent dissembling to get what she wants
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deceit
the pretending of having virtues, principles, or beliefs that one in fact does not have
in the end the preacher's smarmy dissembling is discovered, and he is exposed as a fraud
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in lying
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in pretending
to present a false appearance of
he dissembled happiness at the news that his old girlfriend was getting married—to someone else
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2
as in dissimulating
to take on a false or deceptive appearance
children learn to dissemble at a surprisingly early age
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Recent Examples of dissembling
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
His inner self is right there and raw at the surface, leaving him incapable of dissembling, which is why Lancaster Dodd likes him so much.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissembling
Noun
-
Comte’s feature directorial debut follows Quebec teenager Antoine, who travels to Ghana for a showdown with Kojo, a local gang member, amid an escalating game of deception.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The Portage case is different, as the subcontractor and his co-conspirators are accused of deception in their failure to deliver the televisions to warehouses.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Such deceit is incompatible with public service.—
Diana Paulsen,
ABC News,
6 Feb. 2026
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But Prosecutor Ben Ladinig argued any grains of authenticity in Haobsh's life were far outweighed by deceit.—
Natalie Morales,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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He was found dead lying face up on his hotel bed with no signs of trauma, according to a Monday report from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.—
Kenan Draughorne,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2022
Verb
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When Game 3 of the 1917 World Series between the White Sox and New York Giants was rained out, Lardner was in New York and wrote a fictional column pretending the game had actually been played.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Naturally, Liz decides to create her own rom-com HAE and rope Wes into helping her win Michael’s heart by pretending to fake date each other.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
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As Derya and Aziz’s hypocrisies, as upper-class intellectuals, are increasingly brought to the fore, Namal and Biçer’s conversational performances grow haggard and strained.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
When Bondi replied by accusing her of hypocrisy over a lack of similar questioning toward former Attorney General Merrick Garland, Jayapal interjected, trying to force an apology.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Supporters of recent state AI regulations said the measures will address potential threats to public safety and personal privacy, and to counter any mendacious actions created by AI, while not hindering innovation.—
Hope Moses,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Jan. 2026
-
In the dry California hills, an intentional community tries to build a pyre for one of its own, and, in the complex and mendacious aftermath, may end up sort of burning down the nation-state.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
14 Dec. 2025
Verb
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That will add another two years to the litigation battle before any trials could even start, and that is assuming the energy companies lose.—
Mark Curriden,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 2026
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The cap number can be held in a moderate range well beyond 2027, but assuming Nix has a healthy and productive 2026 season, Denver’s days with a quarterback on a rookie deal are numbered.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dissembling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissembling. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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