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faking out

verb

present participle of fake out
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

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 faking 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faking out
  1. deceiving
  2. evading
  3. tricking
  4. fooling
  5. sucking in
  6. stringing along
  7. taking in
  8. having on
Verb
  • The Bucs couldn’t ask for a better bounce-back opponent after dropping their opener in Cincy, a somewhat deceiving result because of all the Baker Mayfield turnovers.
    — Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The public deserves to know which of his points were defensible and which were deceiving.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of deceiving
Verb
  • The department says evading arrest is dangerous but didn’t provide details about the incident.
    — Sarah Matusek, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The new legislation targets Russian officials, financial institutions and the network of tankers used to move Russian oil while evading sanctions.
    — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of evading
Verb
  • Wardle found that a simple variation of ClickFix attack—a technique that has become remarkably effective in tricking people into infecting their devices—is all that’s required for an attacker to take control of a Muse account.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Exhaust fumes mimic the smells of decaying organic matter, tricking lovebugs looking for nesting grounds.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of tricking
Verb
  • In the highlight, Marshall retrieves the ball and oddly fires it back to the infield, fooling no one.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Anybody hoping that a Netanyahu defeat in October and the emergence of a less controversial successor will reset the table is likely fooling themselves.
    — Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of fooling
Verb
  • Grow up and start worrying more about not sucking in Yankee Stadium.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of sucking in
Verb
  • Sure enough, Dick took off with the other packhorses stringing along behind him.
    — Dolores Brown, Outdoor Life, 17 June 2026
Definition of stringing along
Verb
  • Cregger then cast him as the lead of his Resident Evil reboot, which has now scored the franchise’s best reviews and highest-grossing opening weekend, taking in $60 million across its first three days.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026
  • In their directness and simplicity, Laffont’s photos evoke the style-forward photographs that Malick Sidibé was taking in Mali at that same time.
    — Lucy Sante, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of taking in
Verb
  • Yet despite some positive results, both economists and on-the-ground workers are calling attention to the negative impact AI is already having on the labor market.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The conversations that high-level leaders are having on a daily basis are less about tasks and execution and more about the capacity of their workforce.
    — Laura Weldy, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Definition of having on

Browse Nearby Words

faking
faking out
fakir
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Cite this Entry

“Faking out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faking%20out. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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