1
as in deceiving
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 evading
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of faking out
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faking out
Verb
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Although appearances can be deceiving.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Ah, but appearances can be deceiving.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The implication is that some taxpayers are egregiously evading taxes.—
Nathan Goldman,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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The alleged victim was suspected of earlier evading police during a brief car chase in Richmond.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Prompt injection is a method of tricking LLMs into doing things they are normally prevented from doing.—
Bruce Schneier,
IEEE Spectrum,
21 Jan. 2026
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While cold can damage plants, weather that’s too warm too soon can also have a negative effect on bulbs by tricking them into sprouting early.—
Andrea Beck,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The big question is whether Rodriguez is fooling Trump.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
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Dallas’ Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center has been fooling birds for years, reflecting the sky and delivering a hard stop.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Jan. 2026
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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Julia thinks so too, and presses in, sucking in a breath when Ellen mentions Fairy Hill and how people dance into the nights and wake up a hundred years later.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The shelter also had problems serving the existing community, taking in fewer animals due to difficulties moving them through adoption or rescue, and placing greater emphasis on caring for sick or injured animals.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
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But the foreign minister insisted there has been no discussion with Israel about taking in Palestinians from Gaza.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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So what impact are tariffs having on small businesses, and how are larger retailers able to skirt their impact?—
Shawn Baldwin,
CNBC,
7 Nov. 2025
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What effect is this having on the WNBA?—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Literally toxic lesbians — kidding.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
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Just kidding - but honestly not sold on him being the best player on a championship caliber team.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Faking out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faking%20out. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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