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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joked
to make jokes
an edgy comedian fooling with an appreciative college audience
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Recent Examples of fooled
Tatum then isolated against the Spurs big man, fooled him with an up-fake, finished at the rim and smiled after being shoved to the ground.
—
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
This time, most Americans haven’t been fooled, and that gives me hope.
—Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2026
Trump proves experts got fooled again.
—FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 2026
The quick shot that fooled Wallstedt was MacKinnon’s NHL-leading 43rd of the season.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
You, too, can be fooled by warm March days into jumping the gun and making costly mistakes.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 7 Mar. 2026
Don’t be fooled by their jaw-dripping price; the flats boast a luxe look thanks to their low profile and—of course—glove silhouette.
—Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 7 Mar. 2026
Ever been fooled by an AI singer?
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2026
This source also pointed out that all driving relies upon trust in the environment, and while some AVs—and even humans—could be fooled, not all will be.
—Adam Ismail, The Drive, 26 Feb. 2026
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
This time, most Americans haven’t been fooled, and that gives me hope.
—Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2026
Trump proves experts got fooled again.
—FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 2026
The quick shot that fooled Wallstedt was MacKinnon’s NHL-leading 43rd of the season.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
You, too, can be fooled by warm March days into jumping the gun and making costly mistakes.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 7 Mar. 2026
Don’t be fooled by their jaw-dripping price; the flats boast a luxe look thanks to their low profile and—of course—glove silhouette.
—Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 7 Mar. 2026
Ever been fooled by an AI singer?
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2026
This source also pointed out that all driving relies upon trust in the environment, and while some AVs—and even humans—could be fooled, not all will be.
—Adam Ismail, The Drive, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fooled
Verb
-
But savvy marketing campaigns and partnerships with major employers have tricked consumers into turning back to payday loans.—
Christopher Greenwood,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
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The receiver is not malfunctioning; it has simply been tricked.—
Anna Raymaker,
The Conversation,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Deon Cole also made a surprise appearance onstage midway through the afternoon, where the comedian once again joked about the incident at the British Academy Film Awards where Jordan and Lindo were called a racial slur by Tourette syndrome activist John Davidson.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
13 Mar. 2026
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The announcement of Kelce’s return caught the attention of comedian Sherri Shepherd, who joked on her daytime talk show about Swift influencing his decision.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Svetlana Petriychuk wrote the play Finist, the Brave Falcon, based on real events, about Russian women deceived into marrying ISIS fighters and traveling to Syria.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Veteran Vietnam correspondent Neil Sheehan broke the story of the Pentagon Papers, which showed how government officials deceived the public about the Vietnam war.—
Kathy Kiely,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fooled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fooled. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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