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as in fraudulent
marked by, based on, or done by the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value false advertising that claimed that the vegetables were organically grown when they weren't

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word false different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of false are disloyal, faithless, perfidious, traitorous, and treacherous. While all these words mean "untrue to what should command one's fidelity or allegiance," false stresses the fact of failing to be true in any manner ranging from fickleness to cold treachery.

betrayed by false friends

When is disloyal a more appropriate choice than false?

Although the words disloyal and false have much in common, disloyal implies a lack of complete faithfulness to a friend, cause, leader, or country.

disloyal to their country

When is it sensible to use faithless instead of false?

The words faithless and false can be used in similar contexts, but faithless applies to any failure to keep a promise or pledge or any breach of allegiance or loyalty.

faithless allies

How are the words perfidious and faithless related as synonyms of false?

Perfidious adds to faithless the implication of an incapacity for fidelity or reliability.

a perfidious double-crosser

Where would traitorous be a reasonable alternative to false?

In some situations, the words traitorous and false are roughly equivalent. However, traitorous implies either actual treason or a serious betrayal of trust.

traitorous acts punishable by death

When can treacherous be used instead of false?

The synonyms treacherous and false are sometimes interchangeable, but treacherous implies readiness to betray trust or confidence.

a treacherous adviser

Examples of false in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Recent Examples on the Web After six hours of jury deliberation, Leilani Simon, 24, was convicted of all 19 charges against her on Friday, including malice murder, concealing the death of another and multiple counts of making a false statement, WTOC reported. Christina Coulter, Fox News, 1 Nov. 2024 They have been charged with perjury—making a false statement on an affidavit for the purpose of securing voter registration—and being an unauthorized elector who attempted to vote. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 The perpetrators would acquire the vehicles via hire-purchase agreements, air fright them to Singapore with false papers and then ship them to Thailand. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2024 Changes to data privacy Grok, X’s AI chatbot, has already been embroiled in controversy, from spreading false information about the 2024 election to generating violent, graphic fake images of famous politicians. Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for false 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for false
Adjective
  • Dimon has not endorsed a candidate Despite erroneous claims from the Trump camp that Dimon—a Harvard Business School grad—has endorsed the Republican candidate, the JPMorgan CEO has deliberately avoided expressing any opinion on either side thus far.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2024
  • One key area leading to patient dissatisfaction is erroneous patient billing—those times when patients get surprisingly large bills that are confusing and may seem like a mistake.
    Alex Zekoff, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Our list of popular picks includes a chocolate brown faux leather dress and purple florals dress from Sofía Vergara’s fashion line Sofía Jeans, a dijon yellow shirt dress with nearly 200 perfect ratings, a lacy forest green dress that’s in more than 100 shoppers’ carts, and more for under $40.
    Kelsey Fredricks, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024
  • Brushing her faux red locks with a fork, Tran, portraying Ariel, sat in a boat in the ballroom under the moonlight.
    Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 23 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Amazon has been a prolific complainant since 2018, filing at least 42 cases over counterfeit products, 38 for reviews fraud, three for copyright abuse, and, recently, two for bogus product returns.
    Paresh Dave, WIRED, 15 Aug. 2024
  • Officials say the group, with members based in the US, India and the Dominican Republic, allegedly distributed millions of counterfeit pharmaceuticals online, including fake pills that killed at least nine unsuspecting customers.
    Josh Campbell, CNN, 10 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Zendaya went for a leather belted Louis Vuitton dress, while Tom sported a mock neck shirt, black slacks, and white Prada shoes.
    Kleigh Balugo, StyleCaster, 25 Oct. 2024
  • Cece Floral Mock-neck Sweater $99 at Nordstrom This sweater is full of fun details, from the floral design to the mock neck and flared sleeves.
    Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Bank details and health insurance information further increase the potential for financial crimes or fraudulent claims.
    Lars Daniel, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
  • Advertisement Robert Robinson, 41, was arrested in September 2022 for trying to cash a fraudulent check at a casino.
    Christopher Damien, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • He’s played an iconic Harry Potter hero as well as a traitorous Marvel villain.
    Dalton Ross, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2024
  • These Democratic leaders are making a rational and somewhat painful decision, not becoming traitorous.
    Letters to the Editor, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
Adjective
  • Some say this theory explains the inaccurate polling figures in 2016 and 2020.
    Stephen Pastis, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
  • Advertisement The Commonwealth Court, in a 3-2 decision, said 69 mail ballots that lacked dates or had inaccurate dates should be counted in two Philadelphia state House of Representatives special elections held in September.
    Mark Scolforo, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Murao shouts out this pair because they’re mostly made from breathable organic cotton, as opposed to synthetic materials.
    Jordan Galloway, SELF, 26 Oct. 2024
  • The procedure is quick, painless and perfect for those who want to avoid synthetic fillers to refresh the undereye area and improve skin elasticity.
    Rana Good, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near false

Cite this Entry

“False.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/false. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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