fallacy

noun

ˈfa-lə-sē How to pronounce fallacy (audio)
Definition of fallacynext
1
as in delusion
a false idea or belief the once-common fallacy that girls just weren't any good at math

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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 The sunk cost fallacy is the silent killer of rational decision-making. — Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026 Like being able to recognize logical fallacies and how to have media literacy. — Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register, 7 May 2026 For example, the false dilemma logical fallacy has become a very popular way to persuade people to incorrectly believe there are only two options. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026 Since the city adopted the video release policy more than a decade ago, experience has repeatedly demonstrated the fallacy of limiting inquiry to the precise moment when a police officer fires their gun. — Jamie Kalven, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fallacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fallacy
  1. delusion
  2. deception
  3. myth
  4. deceptiveness
  5. error
  6. falseness
  7. illusion
  8. falsehood
Noun
  • Songs about heartbreak and toxic relationship cycles are precise and lucid, even in their delusions.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The mortals would rather live in their own delusion than confront the magic that drifts among them.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of delusion
Noun
  • Her backstory is littered with half-truths and deceptions, including a lie that her mentally disabled younger sister was murdered after being kidnapped.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2026
  • In modern times, as threats have evolved, deception with moving the president has been an integral part of the Secret Service protective methodologies.
    — Donald J. Mihalek, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of deception
Noun
  • There are also myths about how to manage customer experiences designed to thrill customers.
    — Chip Bell, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The fact that such men are in short supply, and that this romanticized myth didn’t even remotely compare with the lives such men actually lived, is of little concern to today’s masculinists.
    — Michael Kimmel, Time, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of myth
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
  • Beyond the deceptiveness of the narrow material view, spiritual light and hope are always present to be found and felt.
    — Sue Brightman, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Jan. 2025
Definition of deceptiveness
Noun
  • But in Saturday’s game, the cornerback’s tendency to commit errors popped up, as he was flagged for two penalties in coverage.
    — Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The Guardians tacked on two more in the seventh on a play in which Kwan was credited for a steal of home and two errors were charged to Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth, who dropped a throw and threw wildly to third.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of error
Noun
  • The falseness of the medium, though, jibed with the falseness of most attempts, throughout American history, to make sense of this enormous, strange man.
    — Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Definition of falseness
Noun
  • Published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, 95 people—Millennial and Gen Z men and women, all of whom had a history of using Instagram for an average of eight years—underwent a virtual reality experience called body illusions.
    — Nicole Karlis, Allure, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The irony, of course, is that this very haphazardness is orchestrated by Dante, who is putting all the references together with intention — the intention of creating the illusion of no intention, of chaos.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of illusion
Noun
  • The end of the Part D premium subsidies has fostered two big prominent themes; one is a falsehood and the other presents a big risk.
    — Diane Omdahl, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • In a June poll, KFF asked whether respondents believed in four vaccine falsehoods.
    — Katrine Wallace, STAT, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of falsehood

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fallaciousness
fallacy
fal-lal
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Cite this Entry

“Fallacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fallacy. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fallacy

Nglish: Translation of fallacy for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fallacy

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