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
The plan is to fake out territorial wasps who will avoid an area where other wasps already reside.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2025
Instead, Baty double-clutched as if trying to fake out Smith.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 6 June 2025
Watching the audience involvement with each fake out before the inevitable death is part of the fun, and something Brener says is the franchise that made him as an executive fall in love with audience testing.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 19 May 2025
Near the end of the run, Fiske made a terrific move to fake out a would-be tackler.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fake out
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2025
Instead, Baty double-clutched as if trying to fake out Smith.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 6 June 2025
Watching the audience involvement with each fake out before the inevitable death is part of the fun, and something Brener says is the franchise that made him as an executive fall in love with audience testing.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 19 May 2025
Near the end of the run, Fiske made a terrific move to fake out a would-be tackler.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fake out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fake out
Verb
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The show’s original pair of fathers, who secretly trick their children into falling in love by pretending to be in a feud, will instead be mothers.—
Richard Johnson,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
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Fake pop-ups and lookalike websites are designed to trick people into typing usernames and passwords by hand.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Davis faces three counts of first-degree assault and a single count each of second-degree manslaughter, evading responsibility involving a death, reckless driving and failure to drive in the proper lane.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
7 Jan. 2026
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Ashton Hill, 17, was charged with discharge of a firearm in certain municipalities, evading arrest, riot participation, possession of marijuana under two ounces in a drug-free zone and possession of CS PG2 under one gram.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Don't be fooled by an ocean that looks calm.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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To Newton, the saga was a reminder of how, in the age of increasingly sophisticated and accessible generative AI, anyone online can easily and quickly fool even the most discerning content consumers.—
Lauren Wilson,
NBC news,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Financial future faking is becoming a major factor in Gen Z and millennial divorces—and perhaps a reason why these younger generations marry less often or much later in life.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
11 Jan. 2026
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In order to fully get away with the crimes, Alice faked having dementia, so no one would ever suspect her.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Sextortion, a scheme where victims are deceived into sending online perpetrators explicit images and then blackmailed in exchange for money or additional graphic content, has affected thousands of teens in recent years and led to multiple suicide deaths.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
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Fortunately, the American public is much more informed and less likely to be deceived by the meat and dairy industry than in 1977.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Christmas lights glow above, strung along the streetlamps, incongruous against the heavy security presence that dominates the scene.—
Keir Simmons,
NBC news,
19 Dec. 2025
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Boutiques and restaurants are strung along nearby side streets.—
Michael Kaminer,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Dec. 2025
Verb
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However, while there may be no blood sucking in this particular novel, that doesn’t mean that the adaptation doesn’t have Rice’s trademark sensuality.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
12 Nov. 2025
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In the Dominican Republic, an adult died after having been sucked in a sewer while trying to clean it, the deputy director of the country's emergency agency, Julian Garcia, told NBC News.—
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fake out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fake%20out. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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