1
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
a crafty child given to frequent dissembling to get what she wants
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deceit
the pretending of having virtues, principles, or beliefs that one in fact does not have
in the end the preacher's smarmy dissembling is discovered, and he is exposed as a fraud
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in lying
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in pretending
to present a false appearance of
he dissembled happiness at the news that his old girlfriend was getting married—to someone else
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2
as in dissimulating
to take on a false or deceptive appearance
children learn to dissemble at a surprisingly early age
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dissembling
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2026
His inner self is right there and raw at the surface, leaving him incapable of dissembling, which is why Lancaster Dodd likes him so much.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
Such dissembling by the people who are where the buck stops raises doubt that the Pentagon’s final report will be candid.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2026
His inner self is right there and raw at the surface, leaving him incapable of dissembling, which is why Lancaster Dodd likes him so much.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
When McKenzie asks him how much he’s contributed to the coffers of politicians, his dodging of the question is pure dissembling theater.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissembling
Noun
-
Widespread deception was rampant, with businesses spending far more on green marketing than on actual sustainability improvements.—
Suvrat Dhanorkar,
The Conversation,
18 May 2026
-
That, along with the angle of his arm—his arm slot, in baseball terms—adds another layer of deception.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Unlike the recent Margo’s Got Money Troubles, a series intent on adding human texture to all our preconceptions about online adult performers, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed seems more interested in the dramatic potential of intimate deceit.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
20 May 2026
-
But those movies, in different ways, were about trickery and deceit, about drawing the audience into a head game of perception.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
He was found dead lying face up on his hotel bed with no signs of trauma, according to a Monday report from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.—
Kenan Draughorne,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2022
Verb
-
The two initially make a deal where Hannah exchanges free tutoring lessons for Garrett pretending to be her boyfriend, making her crush jealous.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
-
With the war’s turbulence on the economy more prevalent and the internet now throttled, Russians no longer have the luxury of pretending the war in Ukraine isn’t happening.—
Daniel DePetris,
Twin Cities,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
-
Beyond the deceptiveness of the narrow material view, spiritual light and hope are always present to be found and felt.—
Sue Brightman,
Christian Science Monitor,
3 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Honest behavior has to do with telling the truth, but also prevents cheating, stealing, misleading, promise-breaking, fraud, self-deception, hypocrisy, BS-ing.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
Lama, a social activist of several decades, sheds any sense of artifice in playing the headstrong Pirati, a woman whose convictions are as compelling as her desires, her vulnerabilities and even her hypocrisies.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
The 2026 State of the Union speech stands in contrast, a speech by a mendacious demagogue who has degraded his listeners by debauching their instincts.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Supporters of recent state AI regulations said the measures will address potential threats to public safety and personal privacy, and to counter any mendacious actions created by AI, while not hindering innovation.—
Hope Moses,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Put simply, Wembanyama is built for the SportsCenter Top 10, assuming that still exists.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
-
But gone are the days of assuming good actors rule the roost when bad action can be quicker, easier, and more lucrative.—
Will Johnson,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dissembling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissembling. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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