1
as in counterfeit
being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud
arrested for peddling "designer" watches that were fake
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in synthetic
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials
opposed to the unnecessary killing of animals, she'll consider wearing only fake furs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
the boss's pitiful attempts at humor were met with fake laughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in double
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
the fake friendliness of the sales rep made me want to gag
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hoax
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
experts declared that one of the museum's prized paintings was actually a fake
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fraud
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
a hidden-camera investigation revealed that the so-called psychic was a fake
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to counterfeit
to imitate or copy especially in order to deceive
pranksters faked giant footprints and then claimed that they had seen Bigfoot
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
while running for class president, Dan was not above faking friendship with people just to get their votes
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to concoct
to perform, make, or do without preparation
if you give me the gist of the plan, I can probably fake enough for the speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to evade
to elude (an opponent in a sports contest) by making a deceptive or agile movement
the running back faked the defense by stepping to his left and then quickly cutting to the right
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 fake
Joey Garrison, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Even its most mean-spirited plotline, in which a married couple assemble a fake theater production to humiliate their ex-neighbor whose noisiness prompted them to move, is presented as more of a gentle exercise in silliness than anything truly vindictive.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 3 Oct. 2025
Gabrielle Fonrouge,paige Tortorelli, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
But with the rise of fake news and deep fakes — and pesky workplace drama — their jobs just got a whole lot harder.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
Daniels faked a handoff to Leshon Williams (64 yards, 10 carries) then hit Henderson on a sideline route.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fake
Adjective
The White House has also continued to troll House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries with AI videos portraying Jeffries in a sombrero and fake mustache.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Even its most mean-spirited plotline, in which a married couple assemble a fake theater production to humiliate their ex-neighbor whose noisiness prompted them to move, is presented as more of a gentle exercise in silliness than anything truly vindictive.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
The Shop Safe Act, a bipartisan federal bill that aims to curb the sale of fakes on online marketplaces, takes the Inform Act a step further.
—Gabrielle Fonrouge,paige Tortorelli, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
But with the rise of fake news and deep fakes — and pesky workplace drama — their jobs just got a whole lot harder.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
In fact, some investigators hired by media outlets have surmised that McDermott faked his own death and is still alive somewhere in Mexico.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
Daniels faked a handoff to Leshon Williams (64 yards, 10 carries) then hit Henderson on a sideline route.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fake
Adjective
-
Besides a brand-new design, the cards also have enhanced anti-counterfeit protections.—
Hannah Poukish,
Sacbee.com,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Kamaitis was age 31 when he was mentioned in a Free Press article about the increasing circulation of counterfeit automotive parts being a concern for federal officials and automakers as well as a safety risk.—
Christina Hall,
Freep.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
For one, all THC-like intoxicating compounds and synthetic or lab-made cannabinoids would be prohibited.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
American food giants like Walmart’s Great Value brand, General Mills, Kraft Heinz and more are pledging to remove additives like synthetic dyes, certain preservatives and artificial sweeteners from their foods.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Flight 11 will target those same two splashdown zones, and Ship will aim to deploy another eight mock Starlinks, SpaceX wrote in Monday's update.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Recently, Taylor invited her daughter’s class to Euronews Albania for a behind-the-scenes look at how television is made, where the children took part in mock interviews and explored the studio with wide-eyed excitement.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
For some Obamacare beneficiaries, premiums are expected to more than double, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (aka KFF), a nonprofit health care research organization.—
Todd Spangler,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
On the morning of June 3, Pandora's mother, Simone Kjolsrud, told The Republic that on May 26, the pair were victims of a double homicide while the teens were on a camping trip.—
Julie Mendes,
AZCentral.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Frauds, swindles, cons, scams, and deceptions — collectively known as hoaxes.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
-
These guys came into my office, told me that there was nothing to the Russia hoax in February of 2017.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The law lowers daily transaction minimums, increases warnings on the kiosks, requires transaction receipts and requires Bitcoin ATM operators to issue refunds to victims of fraud, the release states.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Other senior officials opted to leave, including the bureau’s top fraud expert, cryptanalyst and skyjacking expert, and the head of its Crime Information Center.—
Douglas M. Charles,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Those typically involve a winning team, which can forge indelible memories in the biggest curmudgeons among us.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
-
In the spirit of serving its community, the new theater has been designed to forge a sense of inclusion, according to Lythcott.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Inspire pretend play with the popular Melissa & Doug Ice Cream Counter or give them a chance to be creative with the Yrinfay DIY Unicorn Shrinking Plastic Art Kit.—
Anja Webb,
Parents,
7 Oct. 2025
-
According to the outlet and several videos circulating on social media, Mojito tricked pedestrians by pretending to inject them with a syringe in a series of viral videos.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fake. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share