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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joked
to make jokes
an edgy comedian fooling with an appreciative college audience
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 fooled
Don't be fooled by an ocean that looks calm.
—
Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Don't be fooled by the name, there's nothing murky about this southern-style soup.
—Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Jan. 2026
The Ducks also fooled Tech on special teams, executing a fake punt from their own 43 on fourth and 3.
—Kevin Sherrington
jan. 1, Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
Don’t be fooled by their jaw-dropping price, the bottoms still boast an elevated look thanks to their on-trend barrel legs.
—Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 30 Dec. 2025
Lyrically, it’s cleverly charged with local Cuban slang and phrases, and describes a person who’s not impressed and can’t be fooled by fake people.
—Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 26 Dec. 2025
Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle and Grounds Model Don’t be fooled, this 2,660-piece Harry Potter Lego set is for grown-up Potterheads.
—Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
Who’s to say that every old person is necessarily being fooled by slop?
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
The officials were fooled, ruling it incomplete.
—The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fooled
Verb
-
Accountancy has seen several cheating scandals in recent years, with the Big Four firms hit with multimillion-dollar fines after staff tricked internal exams, but the sector is far from alone.—
-
The initial scheme involved a nonprofit organization that tricked state and federal officials into paying them to serve food to thousands of hungry children but never provided the meals.—
Verb
-
After the couple handed Clarkson a paper with their vows and requested her to read it, the three-time Grammy Award winner joked that she wasn’t officially allowed to officiate.—
-
Doughnuts and coffees in hand, some of them joked about seeing each other look happy for the first time in weeks.—
Verb
-
Your husband claims not to have known the weekend arrangements in advance, claiming you were both deceived — not only by his old friends, but by their wives, and by the single female neighbor.—
-
The agency’s lawsuit asserts Instacart deceived consumers with false advertising, failure to provide refunds and unlawful subscription enrollment processes.—
Cite this Entry
“Fooled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fooled. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share