as in bluffs
sports
a quick movement that you make to trick an opponent
The boxer made a feint with his right, then followed with a left hook.
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Recent Examples of feints
Jack Lang, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Scarpetta contains the standard allotment of feints and false leads.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
But Fogelman’s feints are so dependent on worn tropes that, in the three-part Season 2 premiere that is now streaming on Hulu, Paradise becomes not just predictable, but also kind of dull.
—Judy Berman, Time, 23 Feb. 2026
The painting makes dozens of little feints like this, giving and taking away.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
The fight scenes are full of energetic darts and feints.
—Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Nov. 2025
Khamenei has made feints and tactical adjustments.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
Through the fuzz and the bad camera angles emerges an extraordinary catalogue of dummies, flicks, and feints, a hodge-podge of silly tricks.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Scarpetta contains the standard allotment of feints and false leads.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
But Fogelman’s feints are so dependent on worn tropes that, in the three-part Season 2 premiere that is now streaming on Hulu, Paradise becomes not just predictable, but also kind of dull.
—Judy Berman, Time, 23 Feb. 2026
The painting makes dozens of little feints like this, giving and taking away.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
The fight scenes are full of energetic darts and feints.
—Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Nov. 2025
Khamenei has made feints and tactical adjustments.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feints
Noun
-
Kahanamoku first surfed Corona del Mar in 1914, before the surf break was destroyed by jetties in the ’30s, and became friends with the Vultee family, which had a home on the bluffs.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
3 June 2026
-
The Fort Steele railroad bridge, for all its size, lay low ahead of them, a flush span carrying the tracks between those bluffs on either side of the river, its superstructure entirely below deck.—
Eric Moskowitz,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Chives’ strong scent naturally disguises the scent of pepper plants from pests.—
Sheryl Geerts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 June 2026
-
The couple themselves — Marguerite (Mélanie Thierry) and Pierre Donnadieu (Vincent Macaigne) — are, for the most part, personable, but their generosity disguises a cultural condescension.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
For example, Orion performed several other maneuvers shortly after launch that helped get it in the proper orbit for that to-the-moon maneuver.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Chris Richards, from Alabama, is an uncompromising defender whose Afro towers above the back line and whose lankiness masks a quickness that covers gaps in the American half.—
Leander Schaerlaeckens,
New Yorker,
22 May 2026
-
The aroma masks the smell of tomatoes, working to deter thrips and other garden pests from finding your crop.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
But Wembanyama made other costly crunch-time plays leading into that moment.—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
Scary Movie, the latest entry in the beloved horror parody franchise, is overloaded with riffs, digs, plays, and puns on modern cinema.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Audrey Hudson, twenty-four, is a gifted battlefield surgeon who feigns muteness to comfort Carter Reynolds, a combat soldier deafened by an explosion.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Someone who’s really living the Andrew Tate-like lifestyle Jacob only feigns is his bestie Cameron (Dylan Playfair).—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The sources described it as a preliminary operation laying the groundwork for additional steps by installing listening devices and intelligence equipment in the area.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
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That treatment gap is reviving interest in experimental blood-filtering devices that can physically remove viral particles from the bloodstream.—
Elie Dolgin,
IEEE Spectrum,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
How an octopus camouflages itself was also a topic of discussion for Ritva.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Feints.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feints. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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