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
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
Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faking out
Verb
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Two culinary pros gave us the real scoop about how certain vanilla bean ice creams have been deceiving us all these years.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Sep. 2025
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Opening arguments are set to begin Tuesday's in the FTC's lawsuit against Amazon for allegedly deceiving tens of millions of customers into signing up for Prime and thwarting their attempts to cancel it.—
Matthew J. Belvedere,Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This year’s skillshare in Philadelphia is slated to offer a series of hourlong workshops, including a lesson on evading law enforcement and eluding capture.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Oct. 2025
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Jackson was apprehended a short time later and arrested for evading arrest or detention, police said.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Malware has evolved to target macOS more aggressively than ever and many attacks now rely on tricking users rather than breaking through security software.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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Brood parasites such as cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds’ nests, tricking the hosts into caring for their offspring at the expense of their own.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Instead of fooling millions of people individually, attackers need only to compromise one AI model to reach millions at once.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
20 Sep. 2025
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Your press release isn’t fooling anyone.—
Roberta Matuson,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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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One photo shows Champion taking in a large light projection at teamLab Phenomena, a modern art museum, and another shows Schwarzenegger looking at a Cy Twombly painting series at the Louvre Abu Dhabi.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
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Guests fill their days with fishing on Watt Bar Lake, discovering the 8 miles of walking trails, paddleboarding, and playing tennis, but there’s also the option to stay put, taking in the views of the waterway and general greenery from the front porch of the farmhouse.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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What effect is this having on the WNBA?—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Pat Kelsey wasn't kidding about wanting the smoke.—
Leo Bertucci,
The Courier-Journal,
2 Sep. 2025
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In 2019, Lebanese depositors discovered that their banking system had, in effect, just been kidding about those savings accounts.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Faking out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faking%20out. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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