1
as in deception
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
a crafty child given to frequent dissembling to get what she wants
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deceit
the pretending of having virtues, principles, or beliefs that one in fact does not have
in the end the preacher's smarmy dissembling is discovered, and he is exposed as a fraud
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pretending
to present a false appearance of
he dissembled happiness at the news that his old girlfriend was getting married—to someone else
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in dissimulating
to take on a false or deceptive appearance
children learn to dissemble at a surprisingly early age
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in lying
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissembling
Noun
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Those convictions ended up being tossed by the Supreme Court, which ruled that the scheme, while involving deception and corruption, did not violate federal law.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Aug. 2025 -
Digital deception is still deception under the law.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Who will stay truthful and who will choose deceit to get ahead?—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
24 June 2025
-
Your discussions are subject to confusion, misinterpretation, even deceit.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
23 June 2025
Verb
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This prompt gives you enough talking points to contribute thoughtfully without pretending to be an expert.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Interspersed in the narrative, there are South Asian folktales about a jackal who is punished for pretending to be a king and a foolish man who puts all his eggs in a basket.—
Malaka Gharib,
NPR,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The new policy also takes quite a leap by assuming that most of the nation’s elderly population have ever even heard of Twitter, including the New Jersey caller’s 96-year-old mother.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
13 Apr. 2025
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At the same time, Representative Newt Gingrich from Georgia was already in ascent, assuming the position of House Minority Whip in March 1989.—
Eli Amdur,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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At Comedy Central, Colbert rose to prominence playing a slightly exaggerated version of Bill O’Reilly and other unapologetically mendacious Fox News pundits from the George W. Bush years.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
18 July 2025
-
The true story reveals both how freedom of speech first came to be conceived of as a mechanism for truth, an antidote to falsehood, and the foundation of all liberty—and that, ironically, this new and powerful theory was itself a deliberately mendacious fiction.—
Fara Dabhoiwala,
Harpers Magazine,
4 June 2025
Noun
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The Justice Department is investigating potential mortgage fraud, which Schiff has denied.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
21 Aug. 2025
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For years, machine learning has been used to detect fraud and monitor suspicious activity.—
Becca Bratcher,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The disconnect between brand and behavior made BP a case study in corporate hypocrisy.—
Jim Heininger,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, accused Ukraine's Western allies of hypocrisy over their criticisms of Moscow in light of recent strikes by Kyiv's forces.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Nvidia’s Omniverse allows users to put together world scenes digitally, simulating a physical environment.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
7 Jan. 2025
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In addition to large-scale data theft, economic disruption, and intelligence breaches, quantum computers could be used for malicious purposes such as simulating and synthesizing chemical weapons or optimizing the flight trajectories of a swarm of drones.—
Charina Chou,
Foreign Affairs,
7 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Dissembling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissembling. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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