fake 1 of 3

Definition of fakenext
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fake

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noun

fake

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verb

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
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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

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fake different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of fake are counterfeit, fraud, humbug, imposture, and sham. While all these words mean "a thing made to seem other than it is," fake implies an imitation of or substitution for the genuine but does not necessarily imply dishonesty.

these jewels are fakes; the real ones are in the vault

When could counterfeit be used to replace fake?

The meanings of counterfeit and fake largely overlap; however, counterfeit applies especially to the close imitation of something valuable.

20-dollar bills that were counterfeits

When is fraud a more appropriate choice than fake?

The synonyms fraud and fake are sometimes interchangeable, but fraud usually implies a deliberate perversion of the truth.

the diary was exposed as a fraud

In what contexts can humbug take the place of fake?

While the synonyms humbug and fake are close in meaning, humbug suggests elaborate pretense usually so flagrant as to be transparent.

creating publicity by foisting humbugs on a gullible public

When is it sensible to use imposture instead of fake?

The words imposture and fake are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, imposture applies to any situation in which a spurious object or performance is passed off as genuine.

their claim of environmental concern is an imposture

When would sham be a good substitute for fake?

Although the words sham and fake have much in common, sham applies to fraudulent imitation of a real thing or action.

condemned the election as a sham

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
Adjective
Doing so will help ensure students become effective citizens who are able to sift through propaganda and distortions to discern what’s real and what’s fake, what’s fact and what’s opinion. Rajiv Vinnakota, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026 Sponsored by the California Restaurant Association, the bill is intended to protect diners from deceptive markups and give restaurants, which already operate on thin margins, new tools to fight fake bookings, no-shows, and lost revenue. Kassia Bonesteel, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Noun
Once word got out about the reports in Ohio, so did the obvious fakes. Andy Rose, CNN Money, 8 May 2026 As news of the fakes reverberated around the art world, experts described the scheme as a classic of the genre — one that is far more prevalent than some in the industry would like to admit. ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
The story concerns a young woman named Alejandra (Ana Celeste), who feels pressured into faking a pregnancy. Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 27 May 2026 Bright’s Hannah Wells, a music student, makes an arrangement with Belmont Cameli’s Garrett Graham, captain of the Briar University hockey team, to fake date with the objective of making Hannah’s crush, singer songwriter Justin Kohl (Josh Heuston) jealous. Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for fake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fake
Adjective
  • Prosecutors alleged Roberts knowingly lacked employment authorization for nearly all of his two-decade career in urban education and submitted a counterfeit Social Security card when he was hired as superintendent of the Des Moines public school district, which serves 30,000 students.
    Hannah Fingerhut, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
  • Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin then told CBS in May that ICE would be focused on counterfeit products, particularly tickets and clothing.
    Adam Crafton, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Adjective
  • Without synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, researchers estimate farmers could only feed around half of the approximately eight billon people on the planet.
    Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 1 June 2026
  • In practice, Teng explained, this means customers will soon be able to create a synthetic version of certain stocks by converting them into a digital token on the company’s BNB blockchain.
    Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 1 June 2026
Adjective
  • Lewis oversaw workshops with school kids himself, traveling to schools in his free time, staging mock trials and handing out copies of legal documents, like the Constitution.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 31 May 2026
  • Each year, a different brother played Paddy, lying in the coffin, where he was roasted by a series of mock eulogies.
    Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 31 May 2026
Adjective
  • Its double-height ceilings in the living room provide the perfect acoustics when performers use the grand piano for impromptu concerts.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026
  • Mihyia Davis stroked the next pitch off Slimp’s glove in left for a double and Williams moved to third.
    Tim Willert, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Noun
  • One of them, Laurentius Müller, did indeed employ a speaking puppet, and it was documented as a hoax.
    Ron Cowen, Scientific American, 3 June 2026
  • Distrust and violence flare in the Democratic Republic of Congo as rumors spread that the outbreak — and the disease itself — is a hoax.
    Rael Ombuor, Washington Post, 27 May 2026
Noun
  • Americans for Prosperity sponsored a striking display in the DECC’s Pioneer Hall, demonstrating the scale of the state’s fraud losses with faux $100 bills stacked in volumes that would total $2 billion.
    Jay Gabler, Twin Cities, 30 May 2026
  • The authors then matched high-fraud ZIP codes to areas with fast-appreciating home prices.
    Tristan Bove, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • The pair also forged AlHusseini’s bank and brokerage statements to inflate his assets by millions of dollars to help get the loans, prosecutors said.
    Andrea Klick, Oc Register, 2 June 2026
  • David Halberstam, who announced Heat games on radio for six seasons and then forged a long career as a broadcasting executive and media critic, died this week after a long battle with brain cancer.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • To pretend that the Fed somehow escapes this absolute is not only false, but also a non sequitur.
    John Tamny, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
  • Two, people might pretend to be different characters or scenarios, which can add excitement.
    Noelle Harff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Fake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fake. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.

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