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
Drake preferred to fake out a defender and run right by them.
—
Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 3 Feb. 2026
Great fake out by the production team as Savannah then surprised everyone (and maybe even herself) by winning.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Dec. 2025
Among the highlights was Dart taking off in the first quarter, faking out several Eagles defenders, and running to the endzone for a 20-yard touchdown.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Old Dominion started fast, with quarterback Colton Joseph faking out the Hoosiers defense on the first offensive play of the game and sprinting 75 yards for a touchdown.
—Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fake out
Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 3 Feb. 2026
Great fake out by the production team as Savannah then surprised everyone (and maybe even herself) by winning.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Dec. 2025
Among the highlights was Dart taking off in the first quarter, faking out several Eagles defenders, and running to the endzone for a 20-yard touchdown.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Old Dominion started fast, with quarterback Colton Joseph faking out the Hoosiers defense on the first offensive play of the game and sprinting 75 yards for a touchdown.
—Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fake out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fake out
Verb
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This method involves tricking an employee or person with elevated access into giving up their password.—
Marybel Rodriguez,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
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In a way, deadheading is used to trick plants into blooming again and again.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Last week, a 19-year-old riding an e-motorcycle was arrested on suspicion of felony evading police and felony reckless driving.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
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The tankers were unladen and heading to an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman trying to evade a US blockade, CENTCOM said.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Give Plants Enough Space Don’t be fooled by the size of the seedling at planting time.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 May 2026
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Other investigations showed Darsee had fooled co-authors of many papers that dated back to his college days at Notre Dame.—
Lawrence K. Altman,
STAT,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The conspiracy theories — which claim NASA faked the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969, and subsequent missions to win the Space Race, often alleging the events were filmed in a studio — have persisted for decades.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
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The conflict escalates when Stoner fails Lomax’s protégé, Charles Walker, a student who fakes his seminar report and lacks basic knowledge.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The complaint also claims that the image deceives customers into thinking Lipa has endorsed the product and dilutes her brand identity.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
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Berger also warned against attempts by Israelis to deceive foreign agents, stressing that any contact is a serious offense.—
Amelie Botbol,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The show is strung along by archival content.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
8 May 2026
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Toronto’s goal is to string along offenses late into possessions, when the Raptors don’t have time to run second actions or create open shots.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Put a bowl with a few charcoal briquettes on a shelf to suck in and trap strong smells.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
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Now all the Browns need to do is … suck in 2026.—
Jacob Robinson,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fake out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fake%20out. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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