1
as in to trick
to cause to believe what is untrue
my friends faked me out for a whole day, letting me think that they had forgotten my birthday
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to evade
to elude (an opponent in a sports contest) by making a deceptive or agile movement
used a quick between-the-legs dribble to fake out the flat-footed defender
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fake out
The plan is to fake out territorial wasps who will avoid an area where other wasps already reside.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2025
Instead, Baty double-clutched as if trying to fake out Smith.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 6 June 2025
Watching the audience involvement with each fake out before the inevitable death is part of the fun, and something Brener says is the franchise that made him as an executive fall in love with audience testing.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 19 May 2025
Near the end of the run, Fiske made a terrific move to fake out a would-be tackler.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fake out
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2025
Instead, Baty double-clutched as if trying to fake out Smith.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 6 June 2025
Watching the audience involvement with each fake out before the inevitable death is part of the fun, and something Brener says is the franchise that made him as an executive fall in love with audience testing.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 19 May 2025
Near the end of the run, Fiske made a terrific move to fake out a would-be tackler.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fake out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fake out
Verb
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Baron Cohen’s portrayal of Borat, a fictional journalist from the former Soviet state, plays into stereotypes held by Westerners about the central Asian country while satirizing the United States, where Borat tries to trick politicians and others into compromising themselves.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
23 Jan. 2026
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Frankly, there’s no better way to trick yourself into thinking spring is finally happening than by styling some of your winter staples with a skirt.—
Jasmine Fox-Suliaman,
InStyle,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Davis faces three counts of first-degree assault and a single count each of second-degree manslaughter, evading responsibility involving a death, reckless driving and failure to drive in the proper lane.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
7 Jan. 2026
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Ashton Hill, 17, was charged with discharge of a firearm in certain municipalities, evading arrest, riot participation, possession of marijuana under two ounces in a drug-free zone and possession of CS PG2 under one gram.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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To fool us into doubting our most obvious conclusions about how this story will unfold.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
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Don’t be fooled by the small bowl either.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Financial future faking is becoming a major factor in Gen Z and millennial divorces—and perhaps a reason why these younger generations marry less often or much later in life.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
11 Jan. 2026
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In order to fully get away with the crimes, Alice faked having dementia, so no one would ever suspect her.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Although appearances can be deceiving.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
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Ah, but appearances can be deceiving.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mario Campos would build and work on houses well into his 70s, including a string along SW 25th Street in Miami that belonged to his extended family.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
17 Jan. 2026
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Christmas lights glow above, strung along the streetlamps, incongruous against the heavy security presence that dominates the scene.—
Keir Simmons,
NBC news,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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When its minuscule trigger hairs are touched, the trapdoor flips open, and the tiny victim is sucked in along with water in milliseconds before the door closes again.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
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There’s nothing special about how he got sucked in.—
Vanity Fair,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fake out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fake%20out. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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