as in faux
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials
like everything else the restaurant served, the whipped cream on the dessert was ersatz
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ersatz
In Trump’s first term, officials expanded the United States’ reach into global supply chains by turning export controls, measures that were originally designed to keep U.S. technologies out of the hands of enemy militaries, into ersatz sanctions—another way to hurt an adversary’s economy.
—
Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2024
With its initial framework of Me Too allegations against Steve Carell’s ersatz Matt Lauer, the show purported to take on serious, of-the-moment issues but faltered in its execution, tending to fall back on the notion that the internationally famous have feelings too.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 July 2024
For folks who’ve never heard of Casa Bonita, half the fun comes from discovering this low-quality, medium-concept, high-kitsch fantasyland that had so impressed Parker as a kid — an ersatz old-timey Mexican town conceived of equal parts imagination and bad taste.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 3 Sep. 2024
On the Convention floor, a delegate asked me for a piece of paper from my notebook, and then folded the white page into an ersatz ear bandage, in solidarity with Trump.
—Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for ersatz 
Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2024
With its initial framework of Me Too allegations against Steve Carell’s ersatz Matt Lauer, the show purported to take on serious, of-the-moment issues but faltered in its execution, tending to fall back on the notion that the internationally famous have feelings too.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 July 2024
For folks who’ve never heard of Casa Bonita, half the fun comes from discovering this low-quality, medium-concept, high-kitsch fantasyland that had so impressed Parker as a kid — an ersatz old-timey Mexican town conceived of equal parts imagination and bad taste.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 3 Sep. 2024
On the Convention floor, a delegate asked me for a piece of paper from my notebook, and then folded the white page into an ersatz ear bandage, in solidarity with Trump.
—Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for ersatz
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ersatz
Adjective
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Bertrand wore an oversize faux fur coat and a green gradient suit jacket from KidSuper.—
Mikelle Street,
WWD,
14 Feb. 2025
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The Koolaburra Ugg Milos resemble other Ugg slippers on our list with the soft suede upper and faux fur lining.—
Chaunie Brusie, RN,
Parents,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Autopilot systems, fly-by-wire controls, and synthetic vision, while not the equivalent of an A.I. copilot, are also all heavily computer dependent.—
Daniel Cote,
Robb Report,
16 Feb. 2025
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Drug traffickers mix fentanyl, a synthetic narcotic that is 10 times more powerful than other opioids, with other illicit drugs in an effort to drive addiction and attract repeat buyers, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Here are the best fake car ads and parodies celebrating SNL's 50th anniversary.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
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Yet criminals are impersonating the IRS to trick taxpayers into sharing personal information by texting them fake alerts of their eligibility for extra money, warns the Better Business Bureau.—
Kate Gibson,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The house with six bedrooms and 6 ½ bathrooms has a theater, two bars, a garage with A/C that allows for stacking cars, an exercise room next to the primary suite, a glass-tiled pool, a 700-bottle wine wall, a steam shower, four washers and dryers, artificial turf and a putting green.—
Catherine Reagor,
The Arizona Republic,
16 Feb. 2025
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China is also building the world’s largest artificial island airport, Dalian Jinzhou Bay International off the country’s northeast coast.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In the simulated scenario, a fictional freight train carrying hazardous materials through a crowded area derails in a fiery explosion, burning or otherwise injuring 800 people.—
Corinne Purtill,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2025
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Whereas rigorous lab testing has measured how materials and structural systems hold up against shaking in simulated earthquakes and strong winds for hurricanes, the same can’t yet be said for wildfires, according to Fischer.—
Denise Chow,
NBC News,
22 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near ersatz
Cite this Entry
“Ersatz.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ersatz. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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