dissembling 1 of 3

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

dissembling

2 of 3

adjective

as in lying

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

dissembling

3 of 3

verb

present participle of dissemble
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

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in dissimulating
to take on a false or deceptive appearance children learn to dissemble at a surprisingly early age

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 dissembling
Noun
Such episodes now look like clumsy moments in a decade of dissembling. — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 Such dissembling by the people who are where the buck stops raises doubt that the Pentagon’s final report will be candid. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2026 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
Verb
When McKenzie asks him how much he’s contributed to the coffers of politicians, his dodging of the question is pure dissembling theater. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissembling
  1. deception
  2. deceit
  3. lying
  4. pretending
  5. deceptiveness
  6. hypocrisy
  7. mendacious
  8. assuming
Noun
  • Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, has highlighted a shift in tactics in museum thefts, from deception and stealth to more aggressive and violent methods.
    — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Although Silo 1 discovered her deception, the rebels clamped the pipe in the knick of time.
    — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of deception
Noun
  • Their topics include the limits of authenticity and how to grasp understanding in a world awash in deceit.
    — Christopher Coffman, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The state alleges OpenAI's rapid success stems from deceit and exploitation, causing widespread harm to Floridians and subverting public order.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of deceit
Adjective
  • 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
Definition of lying
Verb
  • In Mozart’s original, two Italian soldiers decide to test their lovers’ fidelity by pretending to head off to war.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Respondents questioned Dave Aranda’s roster construction, the program’s lack of identity and why everybody is pretending this isn’t a lame-duck season.
    — Manny Navarro, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of pretending
Noun
  • 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
  • Beyond the deceptiveness of the narrow material view, spiritual light and hope are always present to be found and felt.
    — Sue Brightman, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Jan. 2025
Definition of deceptiveness
Noun
  • The title references an Islamic hadith that is meant to shine a light on Ali’s character’s moral hypocrisies and the religious fanatics who surround him in the film.
    — John Ross, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Julien’s pursuit of greatness leads him down a path where love, pride and hypocrisy collide… with tragic consequences.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of hypocrisy
Adjective
  • The 2026 State of the Union speech stands in contrast, a speech by a mendacious demagogue who has degraded his listeners by debauching their instincts.
    — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
  • 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
Definition of mendacious
Verb
  • Paying attention to these factors can provide a useful starting point rather than assuming one solution will work for everyone.
    — Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • However, Ujiié cautioned against assuming any simple relationship between a species’ genetic identity and its shell chirality.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of assuming

Browse Nearby Words

dissembles
dissembling
disseminate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dissembling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissembling. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of empirical

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All