as in deceived
to cause to believe what is untrue
we were duped into thinking the dummy was a real alien
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 duped
Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Before a victim falls prey to a scam, they are often duped in a quick, emotional, panic-inducing way.
—Caroline Melear, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
The movie follows a group of petty cheats, liars and drunks who are duped by nefarious opportunists who visit their crumbling town.
—John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Crowds of people apparently duped by misleading social media posts braved the cold for a New Year’s Eve fireworks show at New York’s Brooklyn Bridge.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
Once thought of as unsophisticated and easily duped, a new breed of retail investor is giving the professionals who have long dismissed them a run for their money, according to investors and market data analysts interviewed by CNBC.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025
Squibb plays Thelma Post, a grandmother who gets duped by a phone scammer, discovers her mistake, and makes a perilous journey through the streets of Los Angeles to track down the culprit.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Dec. 2025
Police said at least four of their victims were duped by low-ball offers on newer cars.
—Joe Holden, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
Deadline’s investigation revealed that Screen Culture spliced together official footage with AI images to create franchise trailers that duped many YouTube viewers.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025
Verb
Last year, an employee working for a multinational firm was duped into wiring millions of dollars during a conference call.
—Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Before a victim falls prey to a scam, they are often duped in a quick, emotional, panic-inducing way.
—Caroline Melear, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
The movie follows a group of petty cheats, liars and drunks who are duped by nefarious opportunists who visit their crumbling town.
—John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Crowds of people apparently duped by misleading social media posts braved the cold for a New Year’s Eve fireworks show at New York’s Brooklyn Bridge.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
Once thought of as unsophisticated and easily duped, a new breed of retail investor is giving the professionals who have long dismissed them a run for their money, according to investors and market data analysts interviewed by CNBC.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025
Squibb plays Thelma Post, a grandmother who gets duped by a phone scammer, discovers her mistake, and makes a perilous journey through the streets of Los Angeles to track down the culprit.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Dec. 2025
Police said at least four of their victims were duped by low-ball offers on newer cars.
—Joe Holden, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
Deadline’s investigation revealed that Screen Culture spliced together official footage with AI images to create franchise trailers that duped many YouTube viewers.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duped
Adjective
-
That sequence also introduces a placidly smiley Kylie Jenner playing herself on seemingly a Valium-Adderall speedball of deluded bounciness.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Only a deluded pendejo could support what Maduro wrought on Venezuela, which was a prosperous country and a relatively stable U.S. ally for decades as the rest of South America teetered from one crisis to another.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Challengers should give Marylanders the option to choose a new direction and remove the need to confront the painful reality that they were deceived.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Trump told people that Rupert deceived him.—
Gabriel Sherman,
Vanity Fair,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That's where people get tricked.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Accountancy has seen several cheating scandals in recent years, with the Big Four firms hit with multimillion-dollar fines after staff tricked internal exams, but the sector is far from alone.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
29 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
That’s an extra $1,780 or so purely because the IRS concluded the erroneous position was intentional rather than mistaken.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
How to opt out Incorporating AI directly into Gmail could pose risks for Google, given that large language models can sometimes present erroneous or misleading information.—
Julia Doyle,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The first generation of Iranian revolutionaries—including octogenarians like Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—have long fooled themselves about their future.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Don’t be fooled by their jaw-dropping price, the bottoms deliver an expensive look thanks to their dark wash and classic cut.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Duped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duped. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
