1
as in tricked
to cause to believe what is untrue
I fooled him into thinking that we were driving to the store, not to his surprise birthday party
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in joked
to make jokes
an edgy comedian fooling with an appreciative college audience
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Recent Examples of fooled
After driving his team to the 1-yard line, Fields fooled the entire Steelers defense on a fourth down, faking a handoff and then high-stepping into the end zone untouched to take a 32-31 lead.
—
Mike Defabo, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
And don’t be fooled by their small size — these dishes hold a surprising amount of food.
—Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Sep. 2025
Some fraudsters are so smooth even savvy customers have been fooled.
—Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Much of that information is publicly available, however, so don’t be fooled, officials said.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2025
The company’s board shouldn’t have been fooled by price recovery earlier this year, as former Nestlé consultant Klaus Stöhlker noted Thursday in Inside Paradeplatz.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2025
And as pumpkin spice lattes start to pop up and Halloween decor appears in stores, you might be fooled into thinking that fall weather has finally arrived.
—Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2025
Don't be fooled; starting a business takes time and effort.
—David Rae, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
But the Chinese public isn’t so easily fooled.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2025
Mike Defabo, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
And don’t be fooled by their small size — these dishes hold a surprising amount of food.
—Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Sep. 2025
Some fraudsters are so smooth even savvy customers have been fooled.
—Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Much of that information is publicly available, however, so don’t be fooled, officials said.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2025
The company’s board shouldn’t have been fooled by price recovery earlier this year, as former Nestlé consultant Klaus Stöhlker noted Thursday in Inside Paradeplatz.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2025
And as pumpkin spice lattes start to pop up and Halloween decor appears in stores, you might be fooled into thinking that fall weather has finally arrived.
—Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2025
Don't be fooled; starting a business takes time and effort.
—David Rae, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
But the Chinese public isn’t so easily fooled.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fooled
Verb
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An Arizona inmate tricked court officials into releasing him more than two decades early by filing fake orders allegedly dismissing his charges.—
Suzanne Nuyen,
NPR,
10 Sep. 2025
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Many of the women who spoke Monday addressed that claim directly, saying they were tricked and coerced from the start and that the deceit went far beyond one lie about where the video would be distributed.—
Alex Riggins,
Mercury News,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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During an appearance on Today With Jenna & Friends, Cummings, 43, candidly joked about her experience with postpartum depression after welcoming her son Henry back in December 2023, sharing that her struggles even inspired the name of her ongoing Big Baby tour.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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A couple renovating a 130-year-old home was delighted to discover a music box in the attic, although numerous commenters—drawing from various horror movies—joked that the couple was about to have bigger problems.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There is some relief on the way, but do not be deceived.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Sep. 2025
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Boeing previously admitted that two of its 737 MAX flight technical pilots deceived the Federal Aviation Administration’s aircraft evaluation group about an aircraft part known as MCAS that affected the flight control system of the Boeing 737 MAX.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fooled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fooled. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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