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
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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
Some commenters on social media said they were nearly fooled, but others compared the all-white design to certain plates manufactured years ago that are prone to peeling.
—
Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Don’t be fooled by the casual, conveyor belt setup; diners rave about its excellent quality and freshness.
—Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2026
That’s complicated by the fact that batters take bigger swings on pitches down the pipe than on pitches they are fooled on.
—Eno Sarris, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Others speculate that it was inspired by the vernal equinox, or the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, when Mother Nature fooled people with changing, unpredictable weather.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
We’ve been fooled by Tedham Porterhouse before.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 31 Mar. 2026
He's seen every episode, don't be fooled.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
He’s seen every episode, don’t be fooled.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 24 Mar. 2026
Don't be fooled, Fraser's first Oberon kegs of the season still went to good use, with Oberon Day bringing in serious business.
—Jack Springgate, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Don’t be fooled by the casual, conveyor belt setup; diners rave about its excellent quality and freshness.
—Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2026
That’s complicated by the fact that batters take bigger swings on pitches down the pipe than on pitches they are fooled on.
—Eno Sarris, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Others speculate that it was inspired by the vernal equinox, or the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, when Mother Nature fooled people with changing, unpredictable weather.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
We’ve been fooled by Tedham Porterhouse before.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 31 Mar. 2026
He's seen every episode, don't be fooled.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
He’s seen every episode, don’t be fooled.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 24 Mar. 2026
Don't be fooled, Fraser's first Oberon kegs of the season still went to good use, with Oberon Day bringing in serious business.
—Jack Springgate, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fooled
Verb
-
Not long before Brettler's death, Sharma had learned the kid had tricked him.—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Read how North Korean hackers tricked Ben and got into his computer.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Rock previously joked about being lonely in his 50s during an episode of Kevin Hart's Peacock series Hart to Heart, which aired in July 2022.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
3 Apr. 2026
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The site joked that Tom Hiddleston would play the franchise’s first Bond boy and Gillian Anderson would be the new M in the Amazon film directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight — the last two of whom are genuinely attached to the 26th Bond movie.—
Leigh Blickley,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Klipsch Austin Portable Bluetooth Speaker Deal Don't be deceived by the small Klipsch Austin portable speaker.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Fooled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fooled. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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