1
as in delusion
a false idea or belief
the once-common fallacy that girls just weren't any good at math
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deception
the quality or state of being false
the fallacy of the notion of spontaneous generation was demonstrated by the Dutch naturalist Leeuwenhoek
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 fallacy
Economists call it the sunk cost fallacy.
—
Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
For example, a common fallacy is the belief that things were better in some imagined past.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
And another is the slippery slope of logical fallacy.
—Shaon Lahiri, The Conversation, 7 July 2025
That’s a nearly identical sum to the amount Fox agreed to pay to Dominion Voting Systems in a 2023 settlement over the channel’s airing of conspiracy theories around Dominion’s voting machines, that fueled the fallacy that Trump won the 2020 presidential election.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fallacy
Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
For example, a common fallacy is the belief that things were better in some imagined past.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
And another is the slippery slope of logical fallacy.
—Shaon Lahiri, The Conversation, 7 July 2025
That’s a nearly identical sum to the amount Fox agreed to pay to Dominion Voting Systems in a 2023 settlement over the channel’s airing of conspiracy theories around Dominion’s voting machines, that fueled the fallacy that Trump won the 2020 presidential election.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fallacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fallacy
Noun
-
For an in-depth look at AI psychosis and especially the co-creation of delusions via human-AI collaboration, see my recent analysis at the link here.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
If someone is already at risk of paranoia or delusions, AI may validate their thoughts in a way that intensifies their beliefs.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Advances in deception and seeking technologies will further shape this contest, as each side works to reduce the effectiveness of the other’s systems.—
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Minnesota’s Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson condemned the deception and affirmed how troubling the ambush was.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Getting Started With Beginning Meditation Steps Plenty of obstacles and myths abound that can keep you from taking the first step to meditate.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Inadequate medical advice can lead to injury, burnout or premature retirement from sports, and the persistent myth that pregnancy is an athletic liability can discourage sponsorships and media coverage.—
Starre Vartan,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
An aircraft flying without GPS can accumulate miles of error in just hours.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
-
FanDuel acknowledged the error in the way the game score was displayed and pinned it on a third-party provider.—
Contessa Brewer,Alex Sherman,
CNBC,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Advertisement The difference in hurricane activity between the two oceans is actually more climatological illusion than fact.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Torches held by ancient hands would have given the tableau the illusion of movement.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The rippling fallout of war on families has long been fertile ground for cinema — trauma is calcified while secrets from the past become myths, either perpetuated long enough to solidify into fact or exposed as falsehoods that cause entire identities to be questioned.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Doctors say medical misinformation has gotten worse A new survey of doctors shows medical falsehoods have grown not only online, but also within the medical exam rooms where doctors and patients interact.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fallacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fallacy. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share