1
as in counterfeit
being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud
arrested for peddling "designer" watches that were fake
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in synthetic
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials
opposed to the unnecessary killing of animals, she'll consider wearing only fake furs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
the boss's pitiful attempts at humor were met with fake laughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in double
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
the fake friendliness of the sales rep made me want to gag
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hoax
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
experts declared that one of the museum's prized paintings was actually a fake
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fraud
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
a hidden-camera investigation revealed that the so-called psychic was a fake
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to counterfeit
to imitate or copy especially in order to deceive
pranksters faked giant footprints and then claimed that they had seen Bigfoot
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
while running for class president, Dan was not above faking friendship with people just to get their votes
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to concoct
to perform, make, or do without preparation
if you give me the gist of the plan, I can probably fake enough for the speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to evade
to elude (an opponent in a sports contest) by making a deceptive or agile movement
the running back faked the defense by stepping to his left and then quickly cutting to the right
Synonyms & Similar Words
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
fake documents
a fake identity
a falsified identity
a fraudulent identity
a counterfeit identity
a fictitious identity
a feigned identity
fake news
a fake smile
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Recent Examples of fake
Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 3 Aug. 2025
According to Malwarebytes, attackers use these fake mailto: addresses because they can be created quickly and might escape the email providers' automated flagging or URL reputation checks.
—PC Magazine, 31 July 2025
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 28 June 2025
But a closer inspection revealed some telltale signs that the document, first obtained by the Tribune through a public records request, is likely a fake.
—Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025
Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 18 July 2025
Voit, though, faked the shooting, and when the BAU arrived, Julia was rescued and Tessa captured.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fake
Adjective
Punter Sam Martin executed a fake punt and tossed the ball to an open rookie safety Lathan Ransom, who nearly took it 60-plus yards to the house.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 3 Aug. 2025
According to Malwarebytes, attackers use these fake mailto: addresses because they can be created quickly and might escape the email providers' automated flagging or URL reputation checks.
—PC Magazine, 31 July 2025
Noun
And not just shooting the shot, but using it to create space for my teammates or using a shot fake to create a different shot for myself or a drive to kick.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 28 June 2025
But a closer inspection revealed some telltale signs that the document, first obtained by the Tribune through a public records request, is likely a fake.
—Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025
Verb
Deepfakes are inauthentic images, videos or audio recordings created by artificial intelligence that appear real but have been digitally manipulated, or faked.
—Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 18 July 2025
Voit, though, faked the shooting, and when the BAU arrived, Julia was rescued and Tessa captured.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fake
Adjective
-
Phishing and counterfeit sites are growing in number and complexity while requiring fewer resources to create.—
Daniel Shapiro,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
-
Sazerac Company, the distilling giant that owns Buffalo Trace Distillery, filed a lawsuit in federal court against unknown defendants accused of impersonating a renowned master distiller on social media to sell counterfeit products.—
Killian Baarlaer,
Louisville Courier Journal,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
But many have been moving away from synthetic dyes for years due to pressure from consumers, health advocates and bans or restrictions in states like California, Virginia and West Virginia.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
4 Aug. 2025
-
Make sure your scarf is actually silk, however, and not a synthetic satin.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Travel + Leisure,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The California Post will launch in early 2026, and mock cover images show that the New York paper’s gossip section Page Six will make the move westward as well.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Aug. 2025
-
The group staged a mock funeral procession in January 2021, with doctors carrying caskets on their shoulders, representing 384 people who had died in the nation’s smallest state of an overdose the previous year.—
Katy Golvala,
Hartford Courant,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The Sox fell into a hole after a two-run double by Bryce Harper in the third inning.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
29 July 2025
-
His double off the brick arcade would’ve cleared the fence in every major-league ballpark except the one built hard against McCovey Cove.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
27 July 2025
Noun
-
While much of the pressure for more information is coming from the president's own MAGA base, Trump continues to insist the controversy is a hoax that's been built up way beyond proportion by his political enemies.—
Franco Ordoñez,
NPR,
29 July 2025
-
Trump has dismissed concerns about his administration's handling of the situation and made claims that the conspiracy theories were a hoax.—
Ivan Pereira,
ABC News,
29 July 2025
Noun
-
One exception is if the government was able to prove that citizenship was obtained through fraud in the case of naturalization.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
-
Southeast Asia has become a global epicenter of cyber scams, where high-tech fraud meets human trafficking.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
While the partnership is forging ahead and expects to break ground in 2027, the project still faces myriad challenges.—
Ella McCarthy,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
-
Raised with humble means in the fields of Hobbs, New Mexico, by his immigrant mother, Heredia forged values in hardship rather than academia.—
Jon Stojan,
USA Today,
29 July 2025
Verb
-
In the first song, JJ wears goggles and pretends to be a fast fish, splashing around the tub.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Last year, cyber authorities in Switzerland warned about a similar scheme involving letters that pretended to be a federal meteorology office.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fake. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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