1
as in to trick
to cause to believe what is untrue
my friends faked me out for a whole day, letting me think that they had forgotten my birthday
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to evade
to elude (an opponent in a sports contest) by making a deceptive or agile movement
used a quick between-the-legs dribble to fake out the flat-footed defender
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fake out
Marner faked out Swayman and tucked the winner behind the goalie.
—
Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
This opening fake out is a direct lift from the book.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
One of the most unusual cases handled during his tenure was filed in April against 12 people accused of designing and running a decade-long scheme to fake out California’s smog check system for automobiles, Talbert said.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacramento Bee, 7 Jan. 2025
Bilodeau faked out Bittle while driving for a dunk only to have his shot blocked by point guard Keeshawn Barthelemy.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fake out
Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
This opening fake out is a direct lift from the book.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
One of the most unusual cases handled during his tenure was filed in April against 12 people accused of designing and running a decade-long scheme to fake out California’s smog check system for automobiles, Talbert said.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacramento Bee, 7 Jan. 2025
Bilodeau faked out Bittle while driving for a dunk only to have his shot blocked by point guard Keeshawn Barthelemy.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fake out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fake out
Verb
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The latest attacks follow recent patterns, mimicking Google’s own support to trick users into giving up credentials.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
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Elsewhere in the film, the Irish vampire Remmick, pursued by Choctaw vampire hunters, tricks his way into the protection of a pair of Klan members living near Clarksdale and turns them into creatures of the night.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2025
Verb
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The Wisconsin Supreme Court has suspended a judge accused of helping a man evade immigration authorities.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2025
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The key benefits of integration include: • Enhanced Threat Detection: By unifying security tools, organizations can achieve a holistic view of their threat landscape, enabling the identification of sophisticated attacks that might evade stand-alone systems.—
Bob Kruse,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Don’t be fooled by the context of what is said: the basis for the drama is jealousy and control.—
Lisa Stardust,
Refinery29,
1 May 2025
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Rather than get stuck in or fooled by the appearance of things, this principle reminded us to sense their energetic underpinnings, such as clarity and intention.—
Ginny Whitelaw,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Verb
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As a good friend of his, Emily agreed to fake a relationship with him in order to protect him.—
Hannah Madlener,
Glamour,
2 May 2025
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However, the Will and Grace alum later returned to the subject, grasping her chest and slumping over to fake a heart attack on stage.—
Vanessa Etienne,
People.com,
1 May 2025
Verb
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Jurors found Peters guilty in August for using someone else’s security badge to give an expert affiliated with My Pillow chief executive Mike Lindell access to the Mesa County election system and deceiving other officials about that person’s identity.—
Colleen Slevin,
Twin Cities,
22 Apr. 2025
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Stribling tried to deceive officers by saying Bailei was shot in a robbery, The Detroit News reported.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Richard’s Motel Studios — all strung along South Federal Highway just south of Young Circle.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2025
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Critics have argued Putin is not interested in a lasting peace in Ukraine, with some Democrats suggesting the Trump administration is being strung along while Moscow makes gains on the battlefield.—
Brett Samuels,
The Hill,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Conventional wisdom is that a black hole’s powerful gravity sucks in any object that dares venture too close, then rips that matter apart.—
Paul Smaglik,
Discover Magazine,
11 Apr. 2025
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Come too close to one, and you’d get sucked in by its gravitational pull, or burn up from the intense heat surrounding it.—
David Garofalo,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fake out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fake%20out. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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