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
Marner faked out Swayman and tucked the winner behind the goalie.
—
Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
This opening fake out is a direct lift from the book.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
One of the most unusual cases handled during his tenure was filed in April against 12 people accused of designing and running a decade-long scheme to fake out California’s smog check system for automobiles, Talbert said.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacramento Bee, 7 Jan. 2025
Bilodeau faked out Bittle while driving for a dunk only to have his shot blocked by point guard Keeshawn Barthelemy.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fake out
Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
This opening fake out is a direct lift from the book.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
One of the most unusual cases handled during his tenure was filed in April against 12 people accused of designing and running a decade-long scheme to fake out California’s smog check system for automobiles, Talbert said.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacramento Bee, 7 Jan. 2025
Bilodeau faked out Bittle while driving for a dunk only to have his shot blocked by point guard Keeshawn Barthelemy.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fake out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fake out
Verb
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Deceptive tactics trick users into providing biometric data unknowingly.—
Mohamed Lazzouni,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
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The light from screens can trick your brain into staying awake.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The key benefits of integration include: • Enhanced Threat Detection: By unifying security tools, organizations can achieve a holistic view of their threat landscape, enabling the identification of sophisticated attacks that might evade stand-alone systems.—
Bob Kruse,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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The Wisconsin Supreme Court has suspended a judge accused of helping a man evade immigration authorities.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That was probably a terrible decision, in fairness, but Meazza responded by faking a shot to fool a defender, then teed up Piola to score.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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While the towering shoes may seem intimidating, don’t let their large, often chunky heels fool you: PLatform shoes are among the most comfortable heels in any wardrobe.—
Nina Derwin,
Glamour,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Seeing the look on her face, Lucas put his own future at risk and faked getting an emergency page and told Navy that Dr. Bailey would be doing the procedure after all.—
Stephanie Wenger,
People.com,
18 Apr. 2025
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The survey found that charity and volunteer workers were the most likely to fake a sick day (74 percent), while professionals in property and construction (63 percent), social care (62 percent), and even law enforcement (57 percent) weren't far behind.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Jurors found Peters guilty in August for using someone else’s security badge to give an expert affiliated with My Pillow chief executive Mike Lindell access to the Mesa County election system and deceiving other officials about that person’s identity.—
Colleen Slevin,
Twin Cities,
22 Apr. 2025
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Stribling tried to deceive officers by saying Bailei was shot in a robbery, The Detroit News reported.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Richard’s Motel Studios — all strung along South Federal Highway just south of Young Circle.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2025
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Critics have argued Putin is not interested in a lasting peace in Ukraine, with some Democrats suggesting the Trump administration is being strung along while Moscow makes gains on the battlefield.—
Brett Samuels,
The Hill,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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They're made of a Lycra spandex that wraps around and sucks in the waist, covering the belly button and giving you full butt coverage.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
27 Mar. 2025
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To clarify, engaging your core and sucking in your stomach are two entirely different actions.—
Dana Solomon,
Outside Online,
16 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fake out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fake%20out. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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