1
2
3
as in illegitimate
born to a father and mother who are not married the spurious son of Charles II, the Duke of Monmouth would later mount a rebellion in a disastrous attempt to claim the throne

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples 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 spurious The development comes amid fevered — and often spurious — speculation about the vast game of musical chairs playing out at the highest echelons of European fashion. Miles Socha, WWD, 14 Oct. 2024 Lake’s campaign has attempted to pivot away from her spurious claims about election integrity, focusing on issues like inflation and immigration. Nik Popli, TIME, 7 Oct. 2024 This prompted criticism from the Norwegian press and public, who accused the royal of using her title to boost her spurious business interests. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 30 Aug. 2024 Some find this goal spurious in a society that is so intensely polarized. Blake D. Morant, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for spurious 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurious
Adjective
  • While the total across the four cases—all withdrawn after a deposit of forged or counterfeit checks—came to more than $661,000, a significant portion of that comes from just one case.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
  • Federal law enforcement officials announced the criminal indictments against the man and six other people on Monday, calling the case one of the largest counterfeit pill busts ever in New England.
    CBS News, CBS News, 24 Sep. 2024
Adjective
  • Bear in mind that his campaign was replete with false claims — about immigration, jobs, inflation, crime and more.
    Paul Krugman, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
  • Oz is the Penguin now — like everyone in Batman’s Rogues Gallery, a caricature of his own trauma, drawn to criminal means of false liberation.
    Andy Andersen, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Officials in Lancaster, who have been reviewing the 2,500 ballots suspected of fraud have found that 60 percent were potentially illegitimate, Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams said.
    Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
  • Democrats are already working to steal the election from Donald Trump, and the results are going to be illegitimate.
    Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Years after dazzling in primetime by covering herself in fake blood, Gaga had graced the Oscars stage with utmost elegance, capable of evolving her talents and becoming a stately pop spokeswoman.
    Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 5 Nov. 2024
  • April 25: Trump is named an unindicted co-conspirator in Arizona fake election scheme charges.
    Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The video appeared to have been substantially manipulated, with unnatural facial expressions and a robotic voice, according to a CNN analysis using deepfake detector tools.
    Michael Conte, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024
  • Just make sure to only use mold-free pumpkins that haven’t been treated with paint or other unnatural products.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • With Russian visas now harder to obtain, many are now seeking legal work visas from Hungary (sometimes using forged documents), which are then used to travel through Europe to the French coast.
    Richard Windsor, theweek, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Chen and Yu are each charged with one count of engaging in organized crime, one count of second-degree fleeing or evading police and one count of first-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument.
    Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 22 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Wear rubber gloves and clip a mangled licking branch (which holds the forehead and saliva scent of several bucks and does) from atop an active scrape and wire it over a mock scrape near your stand.
    Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Students around the country are getting mock elections, nine-week campaign courses and field trips to the polls, where many high school seniors will vote for their first time on Tuesday.
    Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The lifelong New Yorker explained his decision to pack up for Florida in a 2019 post on the social platform X, citing taxes and his strained relationships with state and local leaders.
    Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
  • In addition, there will need to be some serious operational improvements to remedy the company’s strained relationship with many current and former customers.
    Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2024

Podcast

Thesaurus Entries Near spurious

Cite this Entry

“Spurious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurious. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on spurious

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!