fake out

verb

Definition of fake outnext
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

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
  1. trick
  2. evade
  3. fool
  4. fake
  5. deceive
  6. string along
  7. suck in
Verb
  • Staten provided the missing link between his father and Yancy, who told the Double K rancher about the plan to trick his father.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 23 July 2026
  • In 2014, Daniel Willingham gave advice on how to trick your kids into reading all summer long.
    — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026
Definition of trick
Verb
  • This vagueness risks allowing both AI developers and therapists to evade responsibility if harmful advice is given.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Last month, prosecutors charged Williams with two felony counts of camping and one misdemeanor charge of evading arrest.
    — Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 21 July 2026
Definition of evade
Verb
  • Finding your people Don’t be fooled by the ease of conversations and the loud laughter — many of the women at the Girls Night Out board game night on Tuesday had never attended one of the social club’s events before, and most came on their own.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026
  • But Morrison’s escape act demonstrates how people can be fooled when definitions aren’t clear.
    — Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of fool
Verb
  • Matthew Stafford dropped back, faked a handoff, turned back around and went looking for Puka Nacua again.
    — Nate Atkins, New York Times, 30 July 2026
  • Pay Has Become Disconnected From Effort Generations beyond Gen Z have admitted to faking productivity.
    — Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of fake
Verb
  • Mora filed a cross-complaint against Giumarra alleging he was deceived by the company and its representatives into signing a contract that made false claims about the fruit, including that it was patented by Giumarra.
    — Robert Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2026
  • All the wig and makeup work put into deceiving their people isn’t needed in the first place.
    — Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of deceive
Verb
  • The small fragments of colorful glass, strung along together, produce soothing sounds, their tinkling notes wafting through the air alongside a chorus of windchimes and the sweet scent of plumeria blooming in the garden.
    — Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2026
  • There’s a reason they’re strung along restaurant patios and hung for wedding receptions.
    — Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 29 June 2026
Definition of string along
Verb
  • As the trawler floated around Lake Jesup, the hose sucked in thousands of gallons of the murky beige-and-green water, and siphoned it into a holding tank.
    — Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
  • The homeowners also patched the roof of their house before rain fell that evening — a crucial step because the fragile meteor is porous and sucks in water from the air, Jenniskens said.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
Definition of suck in

Browse Nearby Words

faked out
fake out
faker
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Cite this Entry

“Fake out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fake%20out. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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