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
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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
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
as in lying
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissembling
Noun
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Interestingly, men, not women, were more open to benevolent deception.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025 -
The movie, with Baranov as its scoundrel tour guide, works its way through some of 21st century Russia’s greatest hits of deception.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
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His lurid saga — set in the tropics, the plot revolving around deceit and a dead body — would be just the sort of onscreen story PMI specialized in financing.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
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And in a world where time is money, conditions are ripe for a perfect storm of greed, deceit, and willful gullibility—all in the hope of getting ahead faster than the rest.—
Luis E. Romero,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But that injury was balanced out by years of creative play that kept my kids climbing, pretending, and running around with friends independently.—
Carrie Lukas,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Many businesses closing in Urfa were previously non-production businesses, established at zero cost with government incentives, used as warehouses while pretending to operate, and then declared bankrupt.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Sep. 2025
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
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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Many are noting Thug’s hypocrisy in his public frustration with Gunna.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
3 Sep. 2025
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But it has been criticized by New Delhi which has accused Washington of hypocrisy given that China, the largest purchaser of Moscow's energy resources, did not face similar measures.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But assuming the value revival has legs, here are five stocks worth looking at.—
John Dorfman,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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Officials estimate that even a smaller-scale version could take up to a decade to design and build, assuming no delays in environmental review, permitting, or funding.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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At Comedy Central, Colbert rose to prominence playing a slightly exaggerated version of Bill O’Reilly and other unapologetically mendacious Fox News pundits from the George W. Bush years.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
18 July 2025
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The true story reveals both how freedom of speech first came to be conceived of as a mechanism for truth, an antidote to falsehood, and the foundation of all liberty—and that, ironically, this new and powerful theory was itself a deliberately mendacious fiction.—
Fara Dabhoiwala,
Harpers Magazine,
4 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Dissembling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissembling. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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