FOOLING Synonyms: 172 Similar and Opposite Words

fooling 1 of 3

adjective

as in joking

marked by or expressive of mild or good-natured teasing ribbed him with fooling comments about how much his hair had grayed

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fooling

2 of 3

noun

as in deception

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fooling

3 of 3

verb

present participle of fool

as in tricking

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in kidding

to make jokes an edgy comedian fooling with an appreciative college audience

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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 fooling

Noun

No fooling, April brings some pretty interesting surprises on Netflix. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026

Verb

In the highlight, Marshall retrieves the ball and oddly fires it back to the infield, fooling no one. — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Anybody hoping that a Netanyahu defeat in October and the emergence of a less controversial successor will reset the table is likely fooling themselves. — Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026 Speaking on Harvard Business School’s The Founder Mindset podcast, hosted by senior lecturer and serial entrepreneur Reza Satchu, the Shark Tank investor argued that anyone trying to balance a young company against the rest of their life is fooling themselves. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 17 June 2026 The other is fooling humans, particularly the dwindling number of journalists, critics, and other gatekeepers who are still capable of conferring legitimacy by paying attention. — Lane Brown, Vulture, 15 May 2026 After killing Minnesota’s first power play, the Avalanche opened the scoring when defenseman Sam Malinski scored his first career playoff goal, fooling Wallstedt with a rising wrist shot. — Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 4 May 2026 But anyone in the auto industry who didn’t feel like something was going to happen in China five years ago was fooling themselves. — Jamie Lincoln Kitman, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026 Politicians are fooling themselves about the political power of health-conscious moms. — Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 22 Apr. 2026 But Baio says Kassotis has been fooling people for years. — Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fooling

Adjective

To get a sense of his whole deal, look no further than the half-mocking, half-earnest title of his latest album, Country!

— Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025

Definition of mocking

Noun

These are two examples of politicians' truths among a plethora of others that are really lies, distortions, deceptions and desecrations of the citizens' trust in them.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
In the acquisition space, the Nats traded Jake Bennett, who sits 93 and relies on deception and command, to the Red Sox for Luis Perales, who sits 99 with a gnarly splitter.

— Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of deception

Verb

Wardle found that a simple variation of ClickFix attack—a technique that has become remarkably effective in tricking people into infecting their devices—is all that’s required for an attacker to take control of a Muse account.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026
Exhaust fumes mimic the smells of decaying organic matter, tricking lovebugs looking for nesting grounds.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of tricking

Verb

Brunson began his monologue by joking that his time winning the 2026 NBA championship this year with the New York Knicks may mirror his hosting stint.

— McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2026
Country star Russell Dickerson and his wife, Kailey, even leave their boys with grandma for warehouse dates, with Kailey joking that any kid-free excursion – especially a Costco run – feels romantic.

— Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of joking

Noun

Litton had apparently set up a similar ruse at another small Seventh-day Adventist school, this one in Red Bluff, about 70 miles northwest of Oroville, sheriff’s officials said.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2026
One such ruse, revealed by The Athletic in August 2024, involved a team of pickpockets being hired to teach his squad the importance of being ready, alert and prepared at all times.

— Art de Roché, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruse

Verb

Pitinan Packable Rain Jacket With Hood, $27 Packing for a short weekend getaway is deceiving.

— Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 24 Sep. 2026
Six years later, over 2,000 colleges and universities are still test-optional – although the categorization may be deceiving, as some scholarships may depend on SAT scores.

— Beth Kania-Gosche, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026