1
as in counterfeit
being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud
a spurious Picasso painting that wouldn't have fooled an art expert for a second
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in false
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
claimed that the governor's election-year enthusiasm for conservation was spurious, since he had cut funding for state parks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in illegitimate
born to a father and mother who are not married
the spurious son of Charles II, the Duke of Monmouth would later mount a rebellion in a disastrous attempt to claim the throne
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spurious
The spurious designation of Qassem Soleimani as a global terrorist, something long requested by Benjamin Netanyahu, gave the green light for the expansion of the designation to other entities long held off from the moniker out of fear of its implications.
—
Séamus Malekafzali, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
Many politicians and government employees learned from The Times that they had been targeted with spurious filings.
—Melody Gutierrez, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, agents will be talking up their clients and spurious links made with all manner of players.
—Andy Mitten, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Soon papers were published with claims of galaxies at redshifts of 10, 11 and even higher—and while many of those preliminary measurements wound up being spurious, several were ultimately confirmed out to redshifts greater than 14.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spurious
Séamus Malekafzali, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
Many politicians and government employees learned from The Times that they had been targeted with spurious filings.
—Melody Gutierrez, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, agents will be talking up their clients and spurious links made with all manner of players.
—Andy Mitten, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Soon papers were published with claims of galaxies at redshifts of 10, 11 and even higher—and while many of those preliminary measurements wound up being spurious, several were ultimately confirmed out to redshifts greater than 14.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spurious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurious
Adjective
-
Per the new bill, works identified as counterfeit are subject to destruction.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Kay is serving a 22-year sentence for supplying Skaggs with a counterfeit pain pill that contained a lethal dose of fentanyl.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Naturally, Yuga Labs sued Ripps, and his partner Cahen, alleging false advertising, trademark infringement, and cybersquatting.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
10 Apr. 2026
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Because of this, Becerra is also facing a misdemeanor count of attempting to induce false testimony.—
Nicole Macias Garibay,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The only one that can be called truly illegitimate by global and historical standards is the claim to the whole of the South China Sea.—
Anatol Lieven,
Twin Cities,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Parker, with the bank’s fraud department, asked Schroeder about several legitimate transactions and one illegitimate one.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Security company Trend Micro has documented that actors who’ve worked on past operations benefiting the North Korean government have used these addresses, particularly in scams involving fake recruiters.—
Jessica Klein,
PC Magazine,
11 Apr. 2026
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Faces of Death isn’t a remake of the infamous 1978 exploitation landmark, a faux documentary that positioned itself as an anthology of actual carnage (though much of its disturbing footage was fake).—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The idea of producing multiple mock drafts is to cover multiple possibilities, and with the ninth overall selection in the NFL Draft, there are several for the Chiefs.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
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To see how the board has changed over time, check out Chris Perkins’ initial mock draft, David Furones’ post-combine mock and Perkins’ post-Waddle trade mock.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Croft School is also being sued by a commercial landlord who alleges that Given provided them with a forged letter of credit for $500,000 in the hopes of expanding into the Foodie's Market location in the South End.—
Penny Kmitt,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
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She was also found guilty of insurance fraud for taking out a $100,000 insurance policy on her husband's life with his forged signature and also for submitting a claim following his death.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The words feel heavy and unnatural when O'Neal repeats them back to the doctor, like trying to blow a bubble and spitting out rocks instead.—
Courtney Crowder,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
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Bolton said unsatisfied transplant recipients are coming to him with unnatural hairlines.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The rickshaws have become increasingly popular in Sierra Leone, filling the gaps in a strained public transport system as the West African country struggles to recover from its 1991-2002 civil war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The band’s courtesy visit was a pleasant break for Japan’s first female leader, known for her long working hours and now struggling with strained diplomatic ties with China, the fallouts from the war in the Middle East as well as rising prices at home.—
Mari Yamaguchi,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spurious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurious. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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