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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spurious
He’s been bad-mouthing wind power for over a decade, often relying on similarly spurious claims.
—
Benji Jones, Vox, 22 Apr. 2025
Although the argument seems spurious at first, given SNAP’s name, the program was only renamed in 2008.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
As more data becomes available, the AI tool improves its learning, becoming more sensitive to variations in the data, more adept at identifying good and bad patterns, and better able to detect spurious patterns.
—John Clemons, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Two years ago, several small-business owners testified to a legislative committee that Americans with Disabilities Act plaintiffs’ lawyers filed spurious complaints, alleging what appeared to be a random list of violations in an attempt to frighten and intimidate the business owner.
—Mark Hillman, Denver Post, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spurious
Benji Jones, Vox, 22 Apr. 2025
Although the argument seems spurious at first, given SNAP’s name, the program was only renamed in 2008.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
As more data becomes available, the AI tool improves its learning, becoming more sensitive to variations in the data, more adept at identifying good and bad patterns, and better able to detect spurious patterns.
—John Clemons, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Two years ago, several small-business owners testified to a legislative committee that Americans with Disabilities Act plaintiffs’ lawyers filed spurious complaints, alleging what appeared to be a random list of violations in an attempt to frighten and intimidate the business owner.
—Mark Hillman, Denver Post, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spurious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurious
Adjective
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Parents, experts and lawmakers have urged tech giants to do more to prevent the sale of counterfeit or illicit drugs to young people through their platforms, after multiple teens have died of overdoses from pills bought online.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
22 May 2025
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According to a 2023 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of overdose deaths involving counterfeit pills more than doubled between mid-2019 and late 2021, with states in the Western US being even more acutely impacted.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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Now their weird discomfort with disease—and their outré views on cancer in particular—is being refracted through a sea of false, indecent speculations.—
Benjamin Mazer,
The Atlantic,
19 May 2025
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This discrepancy hindered the adoption of BI, which might further damage AI by generating models that are trained with false assumptions and generate erroneous predictions.—
Artyom Keydunov,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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Maduro, whose reelection last year to a third term has been condemned internationally as illegitimate, also has cracked down on his political opponents.—
Mark Sherman,
Chicago Tribune,
19 May 2025
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Created primarily to fight organized crime, RICO was seldom used until a 1981 Supreme Court decision expanded its interpretation to apply to both legitimate and illegitimate enterprises, according to Jeffrey Grell, an expert on the law who previewed the case for the American Bar Association.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Later, it's revealed that Phelps didn't die at all, and his fake death was a setup to frame Ethan.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
24 May 2025
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San Diego airport threat: Military member arrested after bomb threat at San Diego International Airport Ex-LA deputy mayor used voice application for fake bomb threat Prosecutors did not provide a motive for the false bomb threat, but detailed Williams' process to conceal the origin of the threat.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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While there are certainly products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
18 May 2025
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For her, the idea of being surrounded by people, especially while grieving, felt overwhelming and unnatural.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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China also makes more large cast and forged products—including landing gear, engine components, brakes, turbine disks, and fan blades—than the next nine countries combined.—
MICHAEL BROWN,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
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It is crafted from forged zinc and finished in matte black.—
Nora Colomer,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Say it with mock certainty and a slight smile, Callahan advises, and pause before the punchline.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
21 May 2025
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Two of them show up regularly in way-too-early 2026 mock drafts.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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His strained, sandpaper-coarse timbre served as an ideal conduit for songs concerned with boisterous revelries, shady agreements, licentious intentions and musical pleasures.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
25 May 2025
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During a father-son fishing trip alongside Dawson and his dad (John Wesley Shipp), Pacey's strained relationship with his parent bubbles up.—
Jen Juneau,
People.com,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spurious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurious. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
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