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
Relevance
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
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
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
ABC News, 21 Feb. 2026
Drake preferred to fake out a defender and run right by them.
—Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 3 Feb. 2026
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
-
Mailings of replacement cards began in March — and around that time, warnings went out that scammers might take advantage of the change to trick people into handing over personal information.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
4 June 2026
-
Parents aren’t trying to trick kids into eating vegetables.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Emmett holds the two men at gunpoint and instructs them to transport him to a specific location to evade capture.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
-
Johnson evaded questions Friday afternoon from reporters who tried to talk to him about the Bears situation at an event at the Chicago Cultural Center honoring the city’s Puerto Rican community.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
But don’t be fooled, Shoshone is well worth exploring in its own right.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Don’t be fooled by its petite silhouette—the bag still offers plenty of room for well beyond your wallet and keys.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Miguel Andujar hit a light chopper to third baseman Alec Bohm, who faked a throw to first and Tatis was tagged out in a rundown to end the inning.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
-
Knight is a lot better at this than most of his contemporaries, but tactility can be difficult to fake for someone who usually doesn’t have to.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
He was also accused of deceiving escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condo deposits and then misappropriated those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments.—
Jay Weaver
June 6,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
-
The Allies went to extraordinary lengths to deceive the enemy, suggesting that the attack would focus on the Pas-de-Calais, the narrowest point of the English Channel.—
Kevin Maurer,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
The brand’s beaded bikinis and one-pieces stay relatively streamlined in silhouette, but are adorned with playful rainbow beads strung along straps and ties, translating its accessory language into a new category.—
Lauren Fisher,
Footwear News,
19 May 2026
-
Last fall, loops of razor-wire fencing were strung along the Rio Grande in the Big Bend area, a remote region of far West Texas.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
But not everything gets sucked in.—
Jeanna Bryner,
Scientific American,
4 June 2026
-
This colorful shooter game will suck in hours of your time as there is tons of content to explore in the open world, like side quests and dungeons.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fake out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fake%20out. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
