1
as in fake
being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud
counterfeit currency that had been passed all over town
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in double
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
when it comes to the poor, his compassion is so counterfeit—he gives a damn, and that's all that he gives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in hoax
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
the will as well as the other documents turned out to be counterfeits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to fake
to imitate or copy especially in order to deceive
an expert at counterfeiting money
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
managing to counterfeit a happy expression while visiting a sick friend
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of counterfeit
Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Velazquez-Garcia and Marquez Plans were taken into custody, and investigators seized more than 500 counterfeit items — valued at more than $500,000.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Albanese said counterfeits can look remarkably genuine, even to longtime collectors.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
Sharon Bernstein, Sacramento Bee, 14 Mar. 2025
Victoire uses her natural talent for counterfeiting to forge paper.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterfeit
Adjective
The constant threat of counterfeit goods must be faced when navigating the secondary market.
—Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Velazquez-Garcia and Marquez Plans were taken into custody, and investigators seized more than 500 counterfeit items — valued at more than $500,000.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
Zhang said more companies may face lawsuits from Pop Mart over Lafufus, but counterfeits might also decrease as Pop Mart ramps up its production.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Albanese said counterfeits can look remarkably genuine, even to longtime collectors.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
Verb
When he was arrested in November, Jackson was in a car with another person, where Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies also found a printer and counterfeit $2, $5, $10, $20 and $100 bills.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacramento Bee, 14 Mar. 2025
Victoire uses her natural talent for counterfeiting to forge paper.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterfeit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterfeit
Adjective
-
Colbert made several jokes about needing a job and even brought a fake resume with a youthful headshot of himself.—
Rosa Escandon,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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The Nepalese government, citing concerns over fake accounts, hate speech, disinformation and fraud, said the measures were to ensure accountability and make operators responsible for content on their platforms.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The score remained that way until the eighth when Ramírez sparked a two-out rally with a double.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Guzman drew a leadoff walk, Bryce Teodosio singled and Nolan Schanuel drove them both in with a double to right.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
20 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In turn, the Koch brothers supported climate denial think tanks, while Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch’s Fox News nightly broadcasts worked overtime to convince Americans that both climate change and COVID-19 were hoaxes or that vaccines were ineffective or unsafe.—
Michael E. Mann,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
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While these hoaxes mostly ended up being false alarms, experts note that these types of hoaxes are not only a serious crime with substantial penalties for those involved but can also put first responders and bystanders at risk.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
It’s forged in small rituals, honest boundaries, supportive villages, and the grace to accept what can’t be controlled.—
Jennifer Jay Palumbo,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Washington has so far thwarted Beijing’s ambitions to dominate the Indo-Pacific by forging alliances and partnerships in the region.—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The study saw parents use actions to joke and pretend with kids aged 16 to 20 months old.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Scrolling on one’s phone can be a deadening experience, but here’s someone feeling, or at least pretending to feel, a genuine feeling—even if the abundance of these videos surely numbs us further.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
More recently, her brother, Jose Napoleon, the director of admissions at Azure College in Fort Lauderdale, was charged this year with a wire-fraud conspiracy involving the sale of false nursing degrees.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
20 Sep. 2025
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In July and August 2024 anti-migrant riots ripped across the country following the murder of three young girls at a dance class in Stockport, and false rumors an immigrant was responsible.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
That’s more than 500 equivalent copies from the period before, with more than 2,400 of those being pure sales.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Calligraphers like Mustapha produce sacred work, such as copies of the Quran, books of religious poetry, and amulets.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
What constitutes the crime is to phony up business accounting records to disguise the payments.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2024
-
In fact, legislators and regulators are rolling back regulations designed to protect investors, who in this case are estimated to have lost $100 billion to phony Chinese firms.—
Gary Thompson,
Philly.com,
29 Mar. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Counterfeit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterfeit. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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