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as in fraudulent
marked by, based on, or done by the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value false advertising that claimed that the vegetables were organically grown when they weren't

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word false different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of false are disloyal, faithless, perfidious, traitorous, and treacherous. While all these words mean "untrue to what should command one's fidelity or allegiance," false stresses the fact of failing to be true in any manner ranging from fickleness to cold treachery.

betrayed by false friends

When is disloyal a more appropriate choice than false?

Although the words disloyal and false have much in common, disloyal implies a lack of complete faithfulness to a friend, cause, leader, or country.

disloyal to their country

When is it sensible to use faithless instead of false?

The words faithless and false can be used in similar contexts, but faithless applies to any failure to keep a promise or pledge or any breach of allegiance or loyalty.

faithless allies

How are the words perfidious and faithless related as synonyms of false?

Perfidious adds to faithless the implication of an incapacity for fidelity or reliability.

a perfidious double-crosser

Where would traitorous be a reasonable alternative to false?

In some situations, the words traitorous and false are roughly equivalent. However, traitorous implies either actual treason or a serious betrayal of trust.

traitorous acts punishable by death

When can treacherous be used instead of false?

The synonyms treacherous and false are sometimes interchangeable, but treacherous implies readiness to betray trust or confidence.

a treacherous adviser

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 false Musk directly condemned the posts that appeared to celebrate Kirk’s shooting, in one case clarifying a false claim that a Tesla employee had made one such mocking comment. Ashley Lutz, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025 That way, people can avoid false-positive or false-negative readings. Alice Park, Time, 12 Sep. 2025 The individual enemies in Silksong aren't very forgiving, either—just a few false moves can allow even random scrubs to get in enough damage to lead to a premature death. ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025 Continue reading … TRUTH COMES OUT – MSNBC corrects contractor's false claim that Israeli forces killed Gaza boy during aid distribution. FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for false
Recent Examples of Synonyms for false
Adjective
  • It must also be said that, for all the lamenting of the Netherlands’ failure to win, West Germany — and Muller — were robbed of a clear goal in the second half due to an erroneous offside flag.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
  • On Thursday, an erroneous report of a man with a gun sent two Boulder schools into lockdown.
    Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • There are so many fun home decor in Pottery Barn’s clearance section for less than $50, including candle holders, faux plants, and even (some) bedding.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Particular standouts are a walnut and parchment media console, faux-fur pouf ottomans with an angular chrome base, a unique performance velvet sectional, and a particularly striking set of dining chairs.
    Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • But because the signals are so faint, they can be drowned out by cheap jammers or replaced by counterfeit ones.
    Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The constant threat of counterfeit goods must be faced when navigating the secondary market.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Whose idea was this, and what kinds of settler-colonial relations does this mock holdup invert?
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Sweater My grandmother also purchased this 100 percent cashmere mock-neck sweater to have on hand in case the weather requires an extra layer.
    Melony Forcier, Travel + Leisure, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Businesses/nominees cannot obtain votes by any fraudulent or inappropriate means.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
  • After a long process of validating legitimate claims and tossing out the ones that were fraudulent or duplicative, Angeion, the company in charge of distributing the payments, has finished its calculations determining how much each individual will get as payments go out starting this month.
    Alix Martichoux, The Hill, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Clarisse looks intimidating climbing out of a boat, as does Bushnell’s traitorous Luke, who wields a sharp-looking knife.
    Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 24 July 2025
  • There's a delicious whodunit aspect to it, too, as the list of five potentially traitorous suspects includes the operative's own high-profile wife (Cate Blanchett).
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 July 2025
Adjective
  • Overpayments can occur for many reasons, the agency said, including incorrect wage reporting, failure to meet work requirements or providing false or misleading information.
    Adrienne Roberts, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • In court, government lawyers frequently made false or misleading claims about the men’s whereabouts.
    Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Apple had to claw back key features, including its (very funny but very inaccurate) text message and news app summaries.
    Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The agent’s outputs could be inaccurate, irrelevant or even risky, negatively impacting ROI.
    Manosiz Bhattacharyya, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“False.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/false. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

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