1
as in unreasonable
not using or following good reasoning
it's fallacious to say that something must exist because science hasn't proven its nonexistence
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in misleading
tending or having power to deceive
consumers who harbor the fallacious belief that credit-card spending will never catch up with them
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fallacious
Catherine Weller, director of global policy for Fauna & Flora International, tells Popular Mechanics that Barron’s argument is fallacious.
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Susan Lahey, Popular Mechanics, 24 July 2023
Bad legislation and fallacious arguments are threatening our most renowned educational institutions, which have made major contributions to our understanding of science and society and to our health and economic well-being, institutions that are the envy of the world.
—Burton G. Malkiel, WSJ, 19 Oct. 2022
But he's been criticized by some Republicans, mostly quietly, for relentlessly supporting Trump's fallacious claims of a fraudulent election last November and for not forcefully criticizing Trump for helping provoke the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by his supporters.
—Alan Fram, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Feb. 2021
Jurors got the the analytics reports, mixed with Jones’ wildly fallacious broadcast denials of the shootings, during the third day of trial in a suit against Jones and his business by a first responder and relatives of the 26 students and educators who died.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 15 Sep. 2022
See All Example Sentences for fallacious
Susan Lahey, Popular Mechanics, 24 July 2023
Bad legislation and fallacious arguments are threatening our most renowned educational institutions, which have made major contributions to our understanding of science and society and to our health and economic well-being, institutions that are the envy of the world.
—Burton G. Malkiel, WSJ, 19 Oct. 2022
But he's been criticized by some Republicans, mostly quietly, for relentlessly supporting Trump's fallacious claims of a fraudulent election last November and for not forcefully criticizing Trump for helping provoke the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by his supporters.
—Alan Fram, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Feb. 2021
Jurors got the the analytics reports, mixed with Jones’ wildly fallacious broadcast denials of the shootings, during the third day of trial in a suit against Jones and his business by a first responder and relatives of the 26 students and educators who died.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 15 Sep. 2022
See All Example Sentences for fallacious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fallacious
Adjective
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During the pause, the state will evaluate if reinstating the law would create an unreasonable risk to staff and inmate safety.—
Landon Mion,
Fox News,
11 Mar. 2025
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The risk assessment seeks to conclude whether the brothers — who for decades have been model prisoners who have focused on helping other inmates heal trauma— now pose an unreasonable risk to public safety if they are released.—
Kevin Dolak,
The Hollywood Reporter,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Many voters said Governor Whitmer’s order, which restricted an outdoor activity – gardening – seemed irrational and excessive, even at the time.—
Jacob Turcotte,
The Christian Science Monitor,
11 Mar. 2025
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But the widening gap between its real-world performance and analysts’ earnings estimates for unborn products has prompted some to warn of irrational exuberance.—
Chris Kirkham,
USA TODAY,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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False Hope And Fake Assurances Ransomware operators also exploit victims with false assurances, creating a deceptive sense of hope that there is a way to resolve the situation.—
Stu Sjouwerman,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
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That’s the film’s greatest surprise, its secret deceptive pitch.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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However, illegitimate reviews can be particularly problematic within fintechs, wherein such reviews can attract scrutiny and prompt regulatory investigations, thereby causing significant time and cost spent to resolve such scrutiny.—
Branden Abushanab,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
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Trump has repeatedly -- and falsely -- framed his Ukrainian counterpart as an illegitimate leader and Ukraine as the instigator of Russia's war.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Moreover, reality is incredibly illogical and multi-faceted, and people are so inconsistent and full of contradictions.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2025
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This is not illogical, in the same way that any blackmail makes sense on paper.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fallacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fallacious. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
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