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
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spurious
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
Though the book largely revolves around spurious media coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza, El Akkad’s great talent is in showing how, over the past few decades, corporate journalism and western powers have undermined our ability to confront global atrocities.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spurious
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
Though the book largely revolves around spurious media coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza, El Akkad’s great talent is in showing how, over the past few decades, corporate journalism and western powers have undermined our ability to confront global atrocities.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spurious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurious
Adjective
-
Cannon became an orthodontist when his playing days ended, but in 1983, he and five others were charged with printing $6 million worth of counterfeit $100 bills, the Daily Advertiser reported.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
20 Feb. 2026
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Ultimately, Banis was found guilty of complicity to murder, robbery, tampering with evidence, possession of counterfeit money, possession of meth and possession of drug paraphernalia.—
Kirby Adams,
Louisville Courier Journal,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
After chasing thousands of leads and pursuing several false confessions, investigators arrested the four men in 1999.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
This becomes, like the false premises of a rom-com relationship, the dirt between the gears of their dynamic.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Neither starts the series out with much in the way of prospects, with Jon the illegitimate, unacknowledged son of a Lord and Sansa relegated to the status of servant after her father is executed before her very eyes.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Feb. 2026
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Nelly herself is heavily reinterpreted by Fennell, imagined in this film as the illegitimate daughter of an aristocrat who serves as Cathy’s maid; the film also runs with modern readings of her character as a more proactive meddler in the doomed love between the main characters.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Every morning, animal care manager Kim Carr stops by to prepare breakfast, scattering treats across their enclosures that are filled with fake tree trunks, log piles and hanging branches — an organic jungle gym for creatures that are born to climb and play.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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The allegedly fake document surfaced as CapRadio, a nonprofit broadcaster that is licensed to Sacramento State, underwent its standard annual audit in fall 2022.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Denver Post Broncos beat reporter Luca Evans also has McNeil-Warren coming to Denver in his mock draft.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
24 Feb. 2026
-
An annual festival in Andorra drew condemnation from the country’s small Jewish community after an effigy bearing the Israeli flag was staged in a mock trial and then hung and shot.—
Grace Gilson,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Peters now faces two felony charges for possession of a forged instrument and possession of dangerous drugs, as well as a misdemeanor charge for using a fake ID to enter a bar.—
Helen Rummel,
AZCentral.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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All thanks to a forged alloy frame, which offers the strength required for off-road usage, all while keeping the weight down.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Standard techniques designed for straight hair may increase the risk of linear scars and low graft survival, which lends to an overall unnatural appearance.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
Freep.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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The beauty of his images, amid unnatural constraints, isn’t a matter of style but of natural force.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Travel from Canada was notably down compared to previous years due to strained relations between the two countries.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
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In the Bronx, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez had a strained relationship, but still won the 2009 World Series together, and now sit on the same TV set regularly as analysts for MLB on FOX.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spurious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurious. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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