1
as in counterfeit
being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud
a spurious Picasso painting that wouldn't have fooled an art expert for a second
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in false
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
claimed that the governor's election-year enthusiasm for conservation was spurious, since he had cut funding for state parks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in illegitimate
born to a father and mother who are not married
the spurious son of Charles II, the Duke of Monmouth would later mount a rebellion in a disastrous attempt to claim the throne
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spurious
This too was a response to state power as experienced under the Soviet Union and its spurious use of statistics for control, not least of free speech and artistic expression.
—
Melik Kaylan,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2026
These efforts apparently relied on a mix of sock-puppet accounts across social media platforms, which promoted the spurious claims of vilifying websites.
—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s 80-year-old former leader, is serving a 27-year prison term on charges widely viewed as spurious and politically motivated.
—
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Using that spurious justification, ICE agents have detained, assaulted, and even — in the case of Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti — killed people for recording.
—
Andrew Case,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spurious
Melik Kaylan,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2026
These efforts apparently relied on a mix of sock-puppet accounts across social media platforms, which promoted the spurious claims of vilifying websites.
—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s 80-year-old former leader, is serving a 27-year prison term on charges widely viewed as spurious and politically motivated.
—
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Using that spurious justification, ICE agents have detained, assaulted, and even — in the case of Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti — killed people for recording.
—
Andrew Case,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spurious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurious
Adjective
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Merchandise including counterfeit perfumes, Rolex watches, knockoff Knicks apparel, sunglasses, electronics and Labubus were seized, in addition to $145,000 in cash, police said.
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According to the sheriff's office, Major Crimes Detectives responded to the scene to collect evidence, which included several sheets of counterfeit currency.
Adjective
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The charge alleges a person knowingly defrauded another by using false or misleading information to obtain money, property, credit or a loan.
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Opponents of Amendment 5 have flatly called the advertisement misleading or false.
Adjective
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That difference suggests that the government sees this extension of patent rights as an illegitimate way for a company to exclude other companies from competing.
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Some fraudsters run an illegitimate DME company and get a doctor to prescribe the equipment.
Adjective
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First was a Drug Enforcement Administration badge and ID with Horsch’s photo on it, but the ID was fake, and Horsch has never worked for the DEA, according to court documents.
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This game preserves the difficulty of coming up with an elaborate, consistent false narrative on the spot, and the challenge of adapting that narrative on the fly when other players present convincing (and sometimes fake) counter-evidence.
Adjective
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On Thursday, Gary Police Department personnel visited campers to teach about crime scene investigation and create a mock crime scene for students to solve.
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An 11-year-old Dexter Sol Ansell is peering into his Zoom camera, hands pressed to his cheeks and mouth wide open in mock shock.
Adjective
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She was additionally found guilty of insurance fraud for taking out a $100,000 insurance policy on her husband's life with his forged signature and for submitting a claim following his death.
Adjective
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Even after extensive engineering, Coach Eve would take about three seconds to reply to a question—a delay users felt was uncomfortable and unnatural.
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His speech was an unnatural blur.
Adjective
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Then there’s the risk of higher frustration and strained relationships across an organization.
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But for Chris Williams, an 18-year employee of the California Department of Education, the contentious return-to-office process may have teed up a strained relationship with downtown.
Cite this Entry
“Spurious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurious. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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