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
This mindset, however, can also foster a sunk cost fallacy.
—
Kumar Rakesh Ranjan, The Conversation, 27 Apr. 2026
The fallacy of first is demonstrated by the Netscape, Napster, Sony’s Betamax, GM’s EV1 electric vehicle, Kodak’s first digital camera in 1975, and UPS’ launch of an overnight delivery service in 1929 as potent reminders that being first is not the winning formula; being the best is.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
This was the fallacy that led to the rise of elegant, beautiful, and compelling scenarios — grand unification, supersymmetry, extra dimensions, and string theory — whose predictions simply don’t appear to match experimental reality in any measurable way.
—Big Think, 1 Apr. 2026
Rose pointed out that our decision-making, especially System 1 decision-making, is affected by cognitive biases and logical fallacies.
—Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fallacy
Kumar Rakesh Ranjan, The Conversation, 27 Apr. 2026
The fallacy of first is demonstrated by the Netscape, Napster, Sony’s Betamax, GM’s EV1 electric vehicle, Kodak’s first digital camera in 1975, and UPS’ launch of an overnight delivery service in 1929 as potent reminders that being first is not the winning formula; being the best is.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
This was the fallacy that led to the rise of elegant, beautiful, and compelling scenarios — grand unification, supersymmetry, extra dimensions, and string theory — whose predictions simply don’t appear to match experimental reality in any measurable way.
—Big Think, 1 Apr. 2026
Rose pointed out that our decision-making, especially System 1 decision-making, is affected by cognitive biases and logical fallacies.
—Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fallacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fallacy
Noun
-
The darkly comedic drama confronts reality, privacy, and the delusions fueling our ever-changing world.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
16 June 2026
-
Also, just a little bit of delusion will carry you a long way.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
But the dramatic vision-boosting reputation carrots have carried for decades traces back to a wartime deception, not science.—
Samantha Agate,
Sacbee.com,
15 June 2026
-
The deception group reported the steepest drop in symptoms.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
The result is a heartfelt, chaotic, and wildly funny story about friendship, family, fame, and the messy line between myth and reality.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
18 June 2026
-
The outsize failings of the men in power demand a grand reimagining of the consequences of those failings, and Helen of Nowhere offers up, exhilaratingly and naughtily, a myth for the man who needs to be shuffled offstage one way or another.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2026
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
Noun
-
Crespi denied the claims, saying a bookkeeping error led to false allegations about her hours and vacation time.—
Tess Riski
June 18,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
-
Marist said the poll's margin of error was ±3 percent.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Such undead falsehoods drive our current peril.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
They are peppered with falsehoods, misrepresentations, insults, praise, self-promotion and erratic capitalizations.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
That's why rich girl hair colors are a calling card for those who favor an upscale aesthetic, or at least a beauty look that creates the illusion of luxury.—
Calin Van Paris,
InStyle,
17 June 2026
-
Over the last 8 months, Schoening has sifted through hundreds of pages of campaign finance reports and says Marx has created the illusion of being the frontrunner.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fallacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fallacy. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
