1
2
3
4
5
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

6
7

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

Example 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 false After so many false hopes, most Swifties had stopped looking so closely for Rep (TV) clues by the beginning of this year. Rachel Simon, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025 Police beat Chase ends with arrest of woman A Little Rock woman was arrested Monday and charged with fleeing from police and having false evidence of a car title, according to a Little Rock police arrest report. arkansasonline.com, 18 Mar. 2025 To illustrate, in the United Kingdom vaccinations took a considerable dip in the early 2000s after Wakefield’ false claims of a link between the MMR shot and autism were posted in the media. Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025 In those documents, West discussed not only how to conduct experiments to implant false memories, instill specific mental disorders, and induce trance states, but also how to hide them. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for false
Recent Examples of Synonyms for false
Adjective
  • There were reports for a decade that his defection was imminent and even an erroneous report by a major outlet that a defection had happened.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Children’s Health Defense is an organization founded by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been criticized for his mixed and erroneous messaging about the ongoing measles outbreak, the largest in six years.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Where Hailey will opt for sumptuous faux furs and nipped in waists, Justin is most comfortable in big hoodies and bigger shorts.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Many leather cleaners can also clean faux leather, vinyl, rubber and plastic — or at least some combination of them.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • On May 6, 2022, Yusuf sold counterfeit blue M30 Oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl to Murray and her boyfriend in a Taco Bell parking lot in Folsom, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
    Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Tatum starred as Shawn MacArthur, a small-time street hustler who sells counterfeit wares before being recruited to make money by participating in amateur street fights.
    Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • This is the version (1.0) version of his mock draft, and there could easily be revisions made necessary by trades, medical history and players rising and falling.
    Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Widely considered the top receiver in the draft, many mock drafts have had the Cowboys selecting the Southern California native at No. 12.
    Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Multiple users commented on Joann's latest post about fraudulent websites to criticize the chain's decision about gift cards.
    Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2025
  • March 6 Check fraud: The City of Saratoga reported that someone attempted to access government funds with fraudulent checks.
    Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • But what will their first move as a traitorous duo be?
    Tom Smyth, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025
  • The blame for this terrifying scenario, McCarthy declared, rested with traitorous federal employees, who had sold their country out and had to be purged from its service.
    Made by History, TIME, 9 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • By contrast, Russia’s own inertial guidance backups tend to be inaccurate.
    David Axe, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
  • In addition, prosecutors told their supervisors in a memo that the show had edited footage of the investigation out of chronological order, generating an inaccurate depiction of what happened.
    Jessica Lussenhop, ProPublica, 29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • That's all synthetic, but it's not made by a robot.
    Steve Baltin, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
  • People are taking great measures to get eggs Federal data shows that eggs are being seized at U.S. borders more than the synthetic opioid fentanyl, a trend occurring amid an ongoing bird flu outbreak causing poultry shortages across the nation.
    Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“False.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/false. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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!