as in fake
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
it's hypocritical to say mean things behind someone's back, and then to act nice when you want something from her
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Recent Examples of hypocritical
Susan Shelley of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association blasted the pork-project spending as hypocritical, especially as some liberal groups and lawmakers support raising taxes or turning to voters to pass new bonds to prop up the state’s shaky finances.
—
Wire Report, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025
The anti-American side focuses exclusively on the tragedies, usually makes slavery the chief argument for the prosecution, and dismisses the triumphs as hypocritical rhetoric.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
In a society that is adamant, if hypocritical, in its moral rejection of violence, the ubiquity of such violent imagery seems to have its own kind of purpose.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
However, his latest mistake is very hypocritical and raises some questions about double standards in his coaching.
—Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hypocritical
Wire Report, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025
The anti-American side focuses exclusively on the tragedies, usually makes slavery the chief argument for the prosecution, and dismisses the triumphs as hypocritical rhetoric.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
In a society that is adamant, if hypocritical, in its moral rejection of violence, the ubiquity of such violent imagery seems to have its own kind of purpose.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
However, his latest mistake is very hypocritical and raises some questions about double standards in his coaching.
—Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hypocritical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hypocritical
Adjective
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Punter Sean West — whose long 24-yard heave on a fake punt outgained every quarterback on the roster.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Green expertly applies fake eyelashes, thick foundation and a dessert brown eye look, while Messina goes to work piling tight curls atop my head.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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James Watson, who co-discovered the double-helix structure of DNA in 1953, has died at age 97.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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Using what was known about biology at the time and X-ray images, the two determined that DNA had a double-helix structure - like a twisted ladder, with each rung made up of a pair of chemicals.—
Reuters,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Without the artist, the law becomes meaningless.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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On Saturday, a group of Texas A&M fans gathered in a hole in the LSU student section and did some of LSU’s cheers after the Tigers scored a meaningless touchdown in the final moments.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Camacho’s sister, who placed the 911 call, had also been injured, suffering superficial cuts and bleeding from her mouth, officials said.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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This is not the time for superficial love.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The pop of color offers a shimmer-free (rare!) means of warming up a wedding look and works equally well at lip level.—
Calin Van Paris,
Vogue,
12 Aug. 2025
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By After Testing Over 30 Best Sellers By Siena Gagliano Unlike balms, which can make lip color slide around, a primer locks it in while keeping lips soft and comfortable.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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One wrong look or insincere angle and the conversation can go sideways.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
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The man whom Navarro likes to call the Boss seems to value insincere, or bought, obeisance—the flapping and fussing of a maître d’—more than heartfelt fandom, which lacks the piquancy of humiliation.—
Ian Parker,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Interactions with his wife’s family remain strained; to this day, no one has told 99-year-old Nana that Webster was in prison.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
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That reunion marked the first time that the father and son had seen each other in 19 months amid their strained relationship.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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With both of these cases being largely hollow and uninteresting, even despite the involvement of a traffic-cone-size butt plug, the burden is on Allura’s arc to grip us.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
4 Nov. 2025
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Any other creation theory – hollow Earth, flat Earth, mud collection, hanging cord, corpse reuse, dreamtime, biosphere as gemstone in the ring of a galactic giant, please insert alternative here.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hypocritical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hypocritical. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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