1
as in forging
to imitate or copy especially in order to deceive
pranksters faked giant footprints and then claimed that they had seen Bigfoot
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in pretending
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 concocting
to perform, make, or do without preparation
if you give me the gist of the plan, I can probably fake enough for the speech
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in evading
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of faking
The 27-year-old solo travel content creator, who has gone viral for traveling to destinations across the globe for just 24 hours, is pushing back against rumors that his content is staged after followers accused him of faking his trips.
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Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were also recently accused of faking publicity to try to look better.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Dec. 2025
Against the Blue Devils, the Huskies had three receivers lined up to the left with the inside slot receiver faking a bubble screen.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Dec. 2025
The stars of the Naked Gun weren’t faking their fun.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
Honest moments and tiny gratitude practices beat layering on expectations and faking joy.
—Jennifer Moss, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2025
Wisconsin doesn't have a crime on the books for faking a death.
—Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 8 Dec. 2025
Both players became frequent targets for Maye, who zipped nine completions into the flat; a frequent weak spot for a New York defense that played a lot of Cover 4 and crowded the middle of the field when blitzing or faking inside blitzes.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 3 Dec. 2025
Numerous couples’ storylines highlight family and friends of the American partner who question the girlfriend’s or boyfriend’s motives, accusing them of faking love for financial gain and access to a green card.
—Julia Meszaros, The Conversation, 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faking
Verb
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Other retailers are forging their own partnerships.—
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In a sense, their relationship is like that of a director and film-score composer, forging a parallel-play dynamic between spoken narrative and soundtrack.—
Verb
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Parents reported that their children loved playing with the original Nékojita FuFu, pretending to fan their faces and blow-dry their hair.—
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How naïve must Trump be to believe that Putin cares about Ukraine’s well-being after invading it, killing thousands of its people, kidnapping tens of thousands of Ukrainian children back to Russia, and continuing to bomb civilian apartment buildings while pretending to negotiate a peace deal?—
Verb
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So is facing a deluge of division title-winners who spent the offseason concocting new ways to beat them.—
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Notably, the computers seem to have a knack for concocting bizarre physics experiments — designs that humans wouldn’t think of, which nevertheless work.—
Verb
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Prokop faces four misdemeanor charges, including one count of a violation of bond — protective order, one count of evading arrest or detention and two counts of resisting arrest, search or transportation.—
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Authorities told Fox News Digital Prokop faces four misdemeanor charges — one count of violation of bond or protective order, one count of evading arrest or detention and two counts of resisting arrest, search or transportation.—
Verb
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As such, more will be required than a World Cup ticket, particularly because physical tickets are vulnerable to counterfeiting, while electronic devices, which may ordinarily be a way to show authentic tickets, are usually forbidden in consular buildings where interviews take place.—
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He and Baines were imprisoned and questioned for counterfeiting coins, and Marlowe was sent home.—
Verb
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In recent years Beijing has ramped up its military intimidation of Taiwan, including by simulating blockades.—
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Since stem cell models represent a disease’s early stages, simulating development is trickier and more time-consuming.—
Verb
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Companies are actively devising strategies to counteract muscle loss in people taking the drugs.—
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Sondheim got to work at eight o’clock one night, devising a version of the murder game in which all the players would have to use their wits to untangle the mystery.—
Verb
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Wardlaw's flimsy pretext is the go-to move of those dodging transparency.—
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Trying to keep up with tariff news, especially as a consumer who isn't necessarily an expert in economic policy, can feel like dodging sporadic jump scares.—
Cite this Entry
“Faking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faking. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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