as in deception
the pretending of having virtues, principles, or beliefs that one in fact does not have
the insincerity of the family's professed concern for the environment is pretty much exposed by the gas-guzzler parked in the driveway
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Recent Examples of insincerity
Allen’s combo of flip insincerity and kindly concern is a terrific treat, recalling Bill Murray at his doofy best.
—
Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025
In an era of skepticism, audiences quickly detect insincerity.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
And as the secretive Jack, Travis Van Winkle oozes oily, sexist insincerity.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025
In an era of skepticism, audiences quickly detect insincerity.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
And as the secretive Jack, Travis Van Winkle oozes oily, sexist insincerity.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insincerity
Noun
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To Elliott, these seemingly minuscule mistakes that were ultimately corrected encapsulate Neon’s deception.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Test your hand-eye coördination and deception skills by maneuvering open windows on your desktop background, answering e-mails and texts and looking at Instagram, all while appearing to be engaged.—
Charles Yu,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Consider this evilmeister’s brazen acts of treason and revenge, unbounded deceit, swinish immorality and negative role modeling.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2026
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Taking someone’s money by deceit is generally not allowed, and the misrepresentations contained in the contract could serve as proof of the alleged fraud.—
Robert L. Boone,
Sportico.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Putting aside the issue of Ukraine and the hypocrisy there, is this posture an ideological thing or about self-interest?—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
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If there’s cleverness to the way Lindsay-Abaire keeps passing the buck of hypocrisy between the members of the neighborhood association, there’s also a pervading sense of decorum that limits how far the satire can go.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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Beyond the deceptiveness of the narrow material view, spiritual light and hope are always present to be found and felt.—
Sue Brightman,
Christian Science Monitor,
3 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Slumming with her sister in San Francisco after her life with her Madoff-like ex in New York implodes, Jasmine Francis isn't quite willing to let go of the affectations that come with living in high society.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
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For the most part though, For the First Time, Again is weighed down by oversinging and emotional affectation.—
Millan Verma,
Pitchfork,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Perfidy — from the French perfidie via the Latin perfidia — means deceitfulness, treachery or a breach of faith or promise.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The 2025 Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act, or HEAR Act, expands on a 2016 law, signed by President Barack Obama, that permits victims and descendants of victims of the Holocaust to lay legal claim to works of art looted by the Nazis or sold to the Nazis under false pretenses.—
Jackie Hajdenberg,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
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People finally get to see me, and there's no pretense about that.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insincerity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insincerity. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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