FAKE OUT Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

fake out

verb

Definition of fake out

as in to trick

to cause to believe what is untrue my friends faked me out for a whole day, letting me think that they had forgotten my birthday

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to evade

to elude (an opponent in a sports contest) by making a deceptive or agile movement used a quick between-the-legs dribble to fake out the flat-footed defender

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of fake out Asked about the fake out, Mara grinned. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026 After the match, Kidd and Finlay, along with Clark Connors, attack Cassidy and Allin until Roderick Strong walks down to the ring, fakes out The Dogs and helps Cassidy and Allin get retribution. — Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 12 Mar. 2026 In the 80th minute, Denkey received an assist from Ender Echenique, faking out goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos before finishing with his left foot between a pair of defenders. — ABC News, 21 Feb. 2026 Drake preferred to fake out a defender and run right by them. — Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 3 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fake out

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fake out

Verb

RatHat relies heavily on tricking someone into installing a malicious Android app and approving powerful permissions.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
In 1943, the British intelligence service, MI6, came up with a wacky strategy to trick Adolf Hitler into thinking the Allies planned to invade Greece and Sardinia (not true) instead of Sicily (true), which Nazi Germany was heavily defending.

— Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of trick

Verb

Yet Iran’s regime has developed sophisticated networks to combat and evade sanctions.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
Young rolled to his right, evading Aidan Hutchinson’s pressure, and threw a perfect pass along the sideline in which McMillan stretched his arms and hauled in the catch using all 6-foot-4 of him, his toes to his fingertips.

— Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of evade

Verb

In April 1943, Operation Mincemeat used a corpse carrying fake invasion plans to fool Hitler into thinking the Allies would strike Greece rather than Sicily.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
But don’t be fooled by the fluidity, the tablet itself isn’t paper (or even E Ink).

— Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of fool

Verb

Verity has somehow been faking a persistive vegetative state.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
With the Seminoles staring at the end zone from the 4-yard line, Daniels faked the pitch left, kept the football and charged straight up the middle, steamrolling through Virginia safety Christian Ellis before crashing into the end zone.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of fake

Verb

But 3-0 marks can be deceiving heading into a battle of unbeatens at home against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026
Boulder County accused the fossil fuel companies of deceiving the general public about the dangers of their oil and gas operations and the associated greenhouse gas emissions through their advertising and marketing.

— Callie Patteson, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of deceive

Verb

For one thing, the aircraft was an all-electric number powered by a dozen electric motors strung along the leading edge of the wing.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
But by Taiwan’s next presidential election in 2028, 12 years will have passed since that strategy was last tested—and the gamble is whether Xi can still be strung along.

— Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of string along

Browse Nearby Words

faked out

fake out

faker

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“Fake out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fake%20out. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of fake out

verb

Example Sentences

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