1
as in delusion
a false idea or belief
the once-common fallacy that girls just weren't any good at math
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deception
the quality or state of being false
the fallacy of the notion of spontaneous generation was demonstrated by the Dutch naturalist Leeuwenhoek
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fallacy
Susan Faludi’s 1991 book, Backlash: The Undeclared War Against America’s Women, was premised on the fallacy, expressed repeatedly in the American media of the time, that feminism’s fights had by that point been, essentially, won.
—
Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2024
Ultimately, this might not be that intelligent and certainly would not surpass our own human fallacies in that regard but rather aggravate them—becoming, therefore, the antithesis of being beneficial to humanity.
—Hamilton Mann, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
Landman, set in the oil fields of West Texas, is punctuated by extensive diatribes from Tommy about the oil industry’s importance, the tragic necessity of landmen and roughnecks, and the fallacy of placing society’s hope on renewable energy.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 20 Dec. 2024
The argument that somehow voters in more populous states are disenfranchised is also a fallacy.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fallacy 
Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2024
Ultimately, this might not be that intelligent and certainly would not surpass our own human fallacies in that regard but rather aggravate them—becoming, therefore, the antithesis of being beneficial to humanity.
—Hamilton Mann, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
Landman, set in the oil fields of West Texas, is punctuated by extensive diatribes from Tommy about the oil industry’s importance, the tragic necessity of landmen and roughnecks, and the fallacy of placing society’s hope on renewable energy.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 20 Dec. 2024
The argument that somehow voters in more populous states are disenfranchised is also a fallacy.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fallacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fallacy
Noun
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Danielle, a mastermind on Big Brother, is a portrait of delusion.—
Alex Abad-Santos,
Vox,
6 Feb. 2025
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Fans, as usual, suffer from the delusion that someone else should pay for their football club and subsidise its continual losses.—
Jack Lang,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Since its launch, in 2011—a direct response to the 2008 financial crisis—the CFPB has focused on protecting Americans from various forms of financial fraud and deception.—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2025
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The show, starring Kaitlyn Dever as Gibson, explores the dangers of misinformation in the wellness industry and the impact of Gibson's deception on those who followed her advice.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
10 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Officials in New York City have tried to present facts and dispel myths circulating online about ICE actions, though this hasn’t eased concerns.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA TODAY,
7 Feb. 2025
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The mysterious circumstances of his death only added to his Gothic-y myth—which, 176 year later, is as potent as ever.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The intended answer, 88 ounces, indicated that a programming or grading error had been made after the child had handed the paper over.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
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Maybe there are good reasons why Matty’s making so many unforced errors.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Your illusion of righteousness only fuels my authenticity.—
Natasha Dye,
People.com,
7 Feb. 2025
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Why deceive the public? Being sold on the illusion of a beautiful new unique structure that will be a great community addition.—
Contributed Content,
Twin Cities,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
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In making and broadcasting these falsehoods, among others, defendants seek only to capitalize on the public’s appetite for scandal without any regard for the truth and at the expense of Mr. Combs’s right to a fair trial.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
12 Feb. 2025
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Now, Google has quietly scrubbed one such falsehood from a demo of its AI writing assistant that featured prominently in an ad planned for Sunday's Super Bowl.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
5 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near fallacy
Cite this Entry
“Fallacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fallacy. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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