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
  • Those figures, though, are a bit deceiving; infant and childhood mortality dragged them down dramatically.
    — Adam Cohen, Oklahoman, 30 June 2026
  • Appearance, though, can be deceiving, but luckily, this shed is still packed with smart features and a clever design that will keep all your belongings safe.
    — Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 29 June 2026
Definition of deceiving
Verb
  • In the state litigation against Kalshi, evading these taxes is often prominently highlighted.
    — Bobby Allyn, NPR, 17 July 2026
  • Fuselier was charged with evading arrest early on Tuesday, July 14, as authorities gathered more evidence for additional charges, police said.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
Definition of evading
Verb
  • What’s far more eloquent is the episode with the witch Circe (a terrific Samantha Morton), whose habit of tricking and transforming men into animals is rendered in evocatively physical, body-horror-esque imagery.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 July 2026
  • From there Nebula chained a handful of steps to escalate the dangling pointer into full control, ending by tricking the kernel into executing their code as root.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026
Definition of tricking
Verb
  • Throughout all the commotion, Romelu Lukaku acted as decoy, holding on to the ball, fooling everyone, including the TV producer, who pulled up a graphic showing his recent penalty record.
    — Geir Jordet, New York Times, 15 July 2026
  • Speaking on Harvard Business School’s The Founder Mindset podcast, hosted by senior lecturer and serial entrepreneur Reza Satchu, the Shark Tank investor argued that anyone trying to balance a young company against the rest of their life is fooling themselves.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 17 June 2026
Definition of fooling
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
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
  • Here, campers enjoy a high vantage point with 360-degree views for taking in the scenery, looking for wildlife, and grabbing photos or video of the experience.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 July 2026
  • Semiconductor makers, now near an 18% weighting in the S & P 500, are taking in that money, exploiting shortages and rationing scarcity through soaring prices.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 14 July 2026
Definition of taking in
Verb
  • 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
  • Faltering consumer Next week's nonfarm payrolls report for May will reveal the state of the labor market, and how much of an impact AI is having on jobs at a time of elevated inflation.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 29 May 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 21 Jul. 2026.

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