Definition of fakenext
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fake

2 of 4

noun (1)

fake

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verb

1
as in to counterfeit
to imitate or copy especially in order to deceive pranksters faked giant footprints and then claimed that they had seen Bigfoot

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
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as in to evade
to elude (an opponent in a sports contest) by making a deceptive or agile movement the running back faked the defense by stepping to his left and then quickly cutting to the right

Synonyms & Similar Words

fakery

4 of 4

noun (2)

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fake different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of fake are counterfeit, fraud, humbug, imposture, and sham. While all these words mean "a thing made to seem other than it is," fake implies an imitation of or substitution for the genuine but does not necessarily imply dishonesty.

these jewels are fakes; the real ones are in the vault

When could counterfeit be used to replace fake?

The meanings of counterfeit and fake largely overlap; however, counterfeit applies especially to the close imitation of something valuable.

20-dollar bills that were counterfeits

When is fraud a more appropriate choice than fake?

The synonyms fraud and fake are sometimes interchangeable, but fraud usually implies a deliberate perversion of the truth.

the diary was exposed as a fraud

In what contexts can humbug take the place of fake?

While the synonyms humbug and fake are close in meaning, humbug suggests elaborate pretense usually so flagrant as to be transparent.

creating publicity by foisting humbugs on a gullible public

When is it sensible to use imposture instead of fake?

The words imposture and fake are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, imposture applies to any situation in which a spurious object or performance is passed off as genuine.

their claim of environmental concern is an imposture

When would sham be a good substitute for fake?

Although the words sham and fake have much in common, sham applies to fraudulent imitation of a real thing or action.

condemned the election as a sham

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
Adjective
Pozzebon, who is 35, was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Italy list in 2017 and also nominated for a 2016 Livingston Award for a documentary about fake pharmaceutical trafficking in Western Africa. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026 For more than a decade now, European and indeed American politicians have known that real, fake, enhanced, or context-free pictures of migrants jumping fences will immediately create a wave reaction. Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2026
Noun
Some of the manuscripts were never returned, while others were replaced with fakes. Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 13 July 2026 The model can spot obvious fakes, but Fleek also runs quality-check centers in Karachi and Delhi that inspect items from brands and categories its data has flagged as frequently counterfeited. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 8 July 2026
Verb
The not-so-fleet-of-foot Contreras faked home, but stayed at third. Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 31 July 2026 During that time, Welch knew the woman and her daughter had expired tourist visas but faked a variety of records to convince them otherwise. Jonathan J. Cooper, Fortune, 31 July 2026
Noun
In that vacuum, fakery thrives. Lane Brown, Vulture, 15 May 2026 Amid all the fakery and flimflam of the pre-regulated drug market, the Shaker brand was the best. Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 4 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for fake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fake
Adjective
  • While no one can be certain what happened, public health officials in Denver pointed to a change in supply, with fentanyl powder replacing counterfeit pills, as a possible cause for the spike in overdoses.
    Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Cyber criminals are using highly convincing counterfeit audio, video, and identity fabrications as tools in ways that conventional detection methods will fail to identify.
    Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Adjective
  • The faux suede boots, which are available in standard and wide calf widths, feature a pointed toe, block heels, and a slouchy design.
    Isabel Bekele, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The ballet became a hilarious parody of Wagnerian cliches as a cartwheeling child wearing sneakers with rainbow lights and dressed in gold, resembling statues of the composer, presided in front of a faux Bayreuth proscenium.
    ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • For the movie's California premiere, the star, who is pregnant with her third child, looked radiant in a baby-blue mock-neck top featuring a mid-drift hem that perfectly framed her growing baby bump.
    Morgan Evans, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Juice a Mock Scrape Where legally permitted, juicing a scrape or creating a mock scrape can influence deer, too.
    Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 6 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • When Debbie, Susan, and Thom come over for a double-date pizza night, only Bret is concerned about the spate of recent home invasions, the missing pets, and the desecration of the griffin mascot.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Jorge Polanco, who snapped an 0-for-26 streak in the third inning with just his second homer of the season, keyed the rally with a two-out double off the left-field wall.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Rumors claim that the virus is a hoax, that health workers are profiting from the outbreak or that hospitals are withholding lifesaving treatments.
    ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • America’s penny press transformed journalism in the 1830s, using hoaxes, sensationalism, and mass circulation to create a blueprint for modern media.
    Big Think, Big Think, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • An extraditable arrest warrant was obtained on charges of first-degree identity theft, second-degree money laundering, first-degree larceny, criminal impersonation and second-degree telephone fraud.
    Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But even some of the grants slated to fund more traditional human rights projects skirt federal requirements for competitive bidding that are meant to deter waste, fraud and abuse.
    Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Raised in a multi-religious home, her identity was forged by questions of what is haram and what would please Jesus.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The first tool for humanity that was forged by Tools for Humanity, in 2019, was a cryptocurrency called Worldcoin.
    Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Feign came to mean inventing or pretending something that is not true.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Something proved appealing about pretending to be someone else.
    Geoff Edgers, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Fake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fake. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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