as in misleading
tending or having power to deceive
a specious argument that really does not stand up under close examination
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Recent Examples of specious
Media lawyers now fear that Trump will ramp up the deployment of subpoenas, specious lawsuits, court orders, and search warrants to seize reporters’ notes, devices, and source materials.
—
David Remnick, The New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2024
The European Commission cast this arrangement as a steppingstone toward greater political unity and made the specious argument that the free-trade area could succeed only if its member countries used a single currency.
—Martin Feldstein, Foreign Affairs, 1 Jan. 2012
Advertisement The next ‘Big Lie’ That brings us to 2024, when, if Trump loses, we will be inundated with false videos, firsthand stories and other specious proofs of the undocumented immigrant votes that turned the election.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
The pattern seekers are more interested in uncovering a juicier story than finding justice for victims who must now compete with specious secret-society rhetoric and crude Diddy memes to be heard.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for specious 
David Remnick, The New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2024
The European Commission cast this arrangement as a steppingstone toward greater political unity and made the specious argument that the free-trade area could succeed only if its member countries used a single currency.
—Martin Feldstein, Foreign Affairs, 1 Jan. 2012
Advertisement The next ‘Big Lie’ That brings us to 2024, when, if Trump loses, we will be inundated with false videos, firsthand stories and other specious proofs of the undocumented immigrant votes that turned the election.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
The pattern seekers are more interested in uncovering a juicier story than finding justice for victims who must now compete with specious secret-society rhetoric and crude Diddy memes to be heard.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for specious
Thesaurus Entries Near specious
Cite this Entry
“Specious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specious. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.
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