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
Amanda Gefter, Quanta Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026
Editors failed to see the slop, and many readers were duped too.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
In her court filings, Herman alleged that their relationship came to an end when Woods duped her into going on a fake vacation.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 30 Mar. 2026
Both the liberal internationalist left and the isolationist right are being duped by online propaganda.
—Jennifer Murtazashvili, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2026
Despite the alleged fraud, Doe has successfully duped state officials time and time again, according to the criminal complaint.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
The people in charge of Florida government — which is top-to-bottom controlled by extreme elements of the GOP — are determined to turn this state into California, where voters are duped into supporting an endless stream of short-sighted tax cuts.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
Ari Lauer pleaded guilty in October 2025 to 23 counts of fraud in the case of DC solar, a Benicia company that served as a front for a nearly $1 billion Ponzi scheme that duped major corporations and sophisticated investors including Berkshire Hathaway chair Warren Buffett.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Instead, Weinstein told the jury, Nick Kassotis had been duped and deluded by the mysterious figure Jim McIntyre.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
Verb
And the human was duped and did it for it.
—Amanda Gefter, Quanta Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026
Editors failed to see the slop, and many readers were duped too.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
In her court filings, Herman alleged that their relationship came to an end when Woods duped her into going on a fake vacation.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 30 Mar. 2026
Both the liberal internationalist left and the isolationist right are being duped by online propaganda.
—Jennifer Murtazashvili, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2026
Despite the alleged fraud, Doe has successfully duped state officials time and time again, according to the criminal complaint.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
The people in charge of Florida government — which is top-to-bottom controlled by extreme elements of the GOP — are determined to turn this state into California, where voters are duped into supporting an endless stream of short-sighted tax cuts.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
Ari Lauer pleaded guilty in October 2025 to 23 counts of fraud in the case of DC solar, a Benicia company that served as a front for a nearly $1 billion Ponzi scheme that duped major corporations and sophisticated investors including Berkshire Hathaway chair Warren Buffett.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Instead, Weinstein told the jury, Nick Kassotis had been duped and deluded by the mysterious figure Jim McIntyre.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duped
Adjective
-
His freelance interior-designer wife, Lindsay, isn’t so deluded.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Becker interviews people from other disciplines—mathematicians, neuroscientists—and the result is a book that does a great job of showing how deluded, stupid, or in bad faith many of these billionaires’ claims are, and of providing a powerful antidote to hype.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The firm says it was deceived again in June 2022, when IQHQ restructured and moved investor interests into a Delaware limited partnership structure.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Klipsch Austin Portable Bluetooth Speaker Deal Don't be deceived by the small Klipsch Austin portable speaker.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Not long before Brettler's death, Sharma had learned the kid had tricked him.—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Read how North Korean hackers tricked Ben and got into his computer.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
When the news breaks of faraway civilian casualties — an erroneous air strike on a school that relied on outdated intelligence, for example — the mind takes refuge in abstractions and statistics.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
-
But those who in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries made erroneous predictions of imminent mass starvation erred by underestimating the world‑changing potential of grasses.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Don’t be fooled by Morejón’s unsightly ERA.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
In person, the author Freida McFadden (her nom de plume) has a sweet, shy demeanor—but don’t be fooled.—
E.L. James,
Time,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Duped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duped. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
