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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One of the dangers of the Midwestern climate is a late-winter warm spell that thaws the soil and tricks bulbs and other plants into sprouting too early.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Jan. 2026
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Ukraine orchestrated a fake hit on one of Russia's enemies who has fought alongside Ukrainian forces, tricking the Kremlin into paying out a $500,000 bounty Kyiv used to fund its war effort.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
2 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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Don't be fooled by an ocean that looks calm.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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To Newton, the saga was a reminder of how, in the age of increasingly sophisticated and accessible generative AI, anyone online can easily and quickly fool even the most discerning content consumers.—
Lauren Wilson,
NBC news,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Last week against Nebraska, running back Bryan Jackson faked a run, then tossed the ball to Maiava for a 43-yard pass to receiver Jaden Richardson.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
8 Nov. 2025
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Laura Owens, who is accused of faking a pregnancy to former star Clayton Echard, was indicted on additional charges related to a second victim on Tuesday.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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To keep the most vulnerable safe, Ivan has to decide to confront the soldiers or deceive them at the potential cost of his life.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
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Relying Too Much On Garbage Disposals Though the name may be deceiving, garbage disposals aren’t actually designed to dispose of all garbage.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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Boutiques and restaurants are strung along nearby side streets.—
Michael Kaminer,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Dec. 2025
Verb
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However, while there may be no blood sucking in this particular novel, that doesn’t mean that the adaptation doesn’t have Rice’s trademark sensuality.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
12 Nov. 2025
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In the Dominican Republic, an adult died after having been sucked in a sewer while trying to clean it, the deputy director of the country's emergency agency, Julian Garcia, told NBC News.—
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fake out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fake%20out. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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