FAKE OUT Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

fake out

verb

Definition of fake out

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 out Asked about the fake out, Mara grinned. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026 After the match, Kidd and Finlay, along with Clark Connors, attack Cassidy and Allin until Roderick Strong walks down to the ring, fakes out The Dogs and helps Cassidy and Allin get retribution. — Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 12 Mar. 2026 In the 80th minute, Denkey received an assist from Ender Echenique, faking out goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos before finishing with his left foot between a pair of defenders. — ABC News, 21 Feb. 2026 Drake preferred to fake out a defender and run right by them. — Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 3 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fake out

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fake out

Verb

Artificial intelligence bots posing as immigration lawyers are increasingly prevalent on social media, where their goal is to trick immigrants and their families into paying out thousands of dollars.

— Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026
Proponents argue this reveals the AI's full capabilities, including potential for cyberattacks, while critics warn of severe risks like AI wreaking havoc, creating viruses, or tricking humans.

— Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of trick

Verb

Those risks include scenarios in which AI could help create chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, autonomously carry out serious cyberattacks, or evade human control.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
The father-daughter duo has set up shop ensconced in the woods, herding donkeys and so far evading the violence closing in on them from the outside.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of evade

Verb

Sebastian Galeano fools the Lake Mary defense by carrying it himself and scampers 40 yards for the touchdown.

— Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Roughly 700 agents ultimately participated in attacks on Hugging Face as part of a broader effort to fool the scorer for a cybersecurity benchmark.

— Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of fool

Verb

And those of us that believe Mitch isn’t a fake, didn’t fake his legendary bow kill of what would be a record buck as well.

— Richard P. Smith, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026
Despite the initial awkwardness, Olive and Adam later agree to fake date to ensure Anh will pursue things with her crush Jeremy, someone Olive once had a crush on, now knowing Olive has since moved on.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of fake

Verb

Jury Duty has managed to deceive two unsuspecting do-gooders with civic duty and a company retreat.

— Peter White, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
In this book’s scenario, an explosion at the Siberian lab sets loose a virus that has been designed to spread rapidly, deceive medical professionals, and produce a 100% fatality rate.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of deceive

Verb

But by Taiwan’s next presidential election in 2028, 12 years will have passed since that strategy was last tested—and the gamble is whether Xi can still be strung along.

— Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
Clients appreciate getting a clear answer instead of being strung along.

— Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 29 July 2026

Definition of string along

Verb

To combat that, the car was equipped with about 400 pounds of ice and water to cool not only the engines but also the air being sucked in and turbocharged.

— Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
The front of the skimmer has an impeller that sucks in debris and holds it in a removable four-liter basket with a screen that captures particles as small as 150 micrometers (uM) such as hair, sand, and dust.

— John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of suck in

Browse Nearby Words

faked out

fake out

faker

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Style

“Fake out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fake%20out. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of fake out

verb

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