1
as in tricked
to cause to believe what is untrue
I fooled him into thinking that we were driving to the store, not to his surprise birthday party
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joked
to make jokes
an edgy comedian fooling with an appreciative college audience
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Recent Examples of fooled
While everyone could be more easily fooled now, don’t be the one remembered for delivering bad intel.
—
Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2026
Don’t be fooled by its petite, easy-to-carry silhouette, though, because the bag boasts plenty of space to stow your essentials and beyond.
—Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 6 Feb. 2026
Don’t be fooled into believing that a temporary suspension of the resident parking fees is a good solution.
—Donna Frye, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Photos show the stacks of cash were well disguised among other boxes in the trailer, but a drug-sniffing K-9 was not fooled, police said.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 5 Feb. 2026
She may be known for her effervescent personality, dance moves, and face glitter, but don’t be fooled.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 5 Feb. 2026
In other words, don’t be fooled.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Don’t be fooled by the small bowl either.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
Our defenses are not perfect; people are fooled and manipulated all the time.
—Bruce Schneier, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Jan. 2026
Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2026
Don’t be fooled by its petite, easy-to-carry silhouette, though, because the bag boasts plenty of space to stow your essentials and beyond.
—Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 6 Feb. 2026
Don’t be fooled into believing that a temporary suspension of the resident parking fees is a good solution.
—Donna Frye, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Photos show the stacks of cash were well disguised among other boxes in the trailer, but a drug-sniffing K-9 was not fooled, police said.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 5 Feb. 2026
She may be known for her effervescent personality, dance moves, and face glitter, but don’t be fooled.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 5 Feb. 2026
In other words, don’t be fooled.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Don’t be fooled by the small bowl either.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
Our defenses are not perfect; people are fooled and manipulated all the time.
—Bruce Schneier, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fooled
Verb
-
Experts say such scam operations in Cambodia and elsewhere have cheated people around the world out of billions of dollars and tricked people from many countries to work in them under slave-like conditions.—
Sakchai Lalit,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Wiles barely could make the tight final left-hand turn that had tricked Monsen.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Online, people joked about dipping into retirement savings to buy a carton.—
Mike Winters,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
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In a lighthearted Instagram video, Shepherd joked about fellow comedian and BFF Kym Whitley planning to steal memorabilia from the show’s greenroom.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And don’t be deceived by Saturday’s sunny skies as the high will be 32 with wind chills as low as 9 degrees.—
Amanda McCoy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Jan. 2026
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Challengers should give Marylanders the option to choose a new direction and remove the need to confront the painful reality that they were deceived.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fooled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fooled. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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