1
as in counterfeit
being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud
a spurious Picasso painting that wouldn't have fooled an art expert for a second
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in false
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
claimed that the governor's election-year enthusiasm for conservation was spurious, since he had cut funding for state parks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spurious
Donald Trump, who practically built his entire 2024 presidential campaign on the spurious grievance that Joe Biden has weaponized the Justice Department against him and his allies, is weaponizing his own Justice Department against his enemies and in service of his friends.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2025
In May 2024, Cairo joined South Africa in its spurious legal case at the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of war crimes—without any evidence.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
The arguments on the pro-bulk-billing side were spurious or overblown, and the MTE [multiple tenant environments] access rules have broad, bipartisan support, as well as a lot of industry support.
—Ars Technica, 27 Jan. 2025
They stiff-arm congressional subpoenas or demands for information with spurious claims of state secrets, executive privilege or unwritten tradition.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spurious
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2025
In May 2024, Cairo joined South Africa in its spurious legal case at the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of war crimes—without any evidence.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
The arguments on the pro-bulk-billing side were spurious or overblown, and the MTE [multiple tenant environments] access rules have broad, bipartisan support, as well as a lot of industry support.
—Ars Technica, 27 Jan. 2025
They stiff-arm congressional subpoenas or demands for information with spurious claims of state secrets, executive privilege or unwritten tradition.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spurious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurious
Adjective
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In Asia, a shadow trade war has long been fought in China over intellectual property—mainly counterfeit goods like putting a Blackhawks logo on an unauthorized cap.—
Brendan Coffey,
Sportico.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Image Beware of counterfeit eclipse glasses and solar viewers.—
Katrina Miller,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But the jitters still shook him, a false-start whistle blowing on his first 40-yard attempt at February’s NFL combine.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2025
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Sanchez and her co-conspirators created false documents for the victims, including Permanent Residence cards and Social Security cards, and helped the victims find employment in the Hartford area.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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His failure to win the popular vote made his election feel contestable, even illegitimate.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Created primarily to fight organized crime, RICO was seldom used until a 1981 Supreme Court decision expanded its interpretation to apply to both legitimate and illegitimate enterprises, according to Jeffrey Grell, an expert on the law who previewed the case for the American Bar Association.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Fooling the government about your fake relationship is one thing, but fooling your family is a whole other challenge of its own.—
Toubee Yang,
Them.,
18 Apr. 2025
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Expect more fake eggs made of colored marshmallows or even potatoes on this year’s Easter spread With egg prices stubbornly high, the internet has offered up a host of alternatives, with crafters painting rocks and influencers dyeing everything from marshmallows to potatoes.—
William Lambers,
Hartford Courant,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In an alternative '90s, dark waters from the underground scientific facility have risen to flood the town and deliver a menagerie of natural and unnatural nightmares.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
11 Apr. 2025
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In this type of thinking, the desire to be alone is seen as unnatural and unhealthy, something to be pitied or feared rather than valued or encouraged.—
Virginia Thomas,
The Conversation,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The outlet stated that prosecutor Cray explained how the suspect had used a forged license to purchase a gun and 100 cartridges for around $843 (£650) from a private seller.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
19 Mar. 2025
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She was charged with misdemeanor identity theft and criminal possession of a forged instrument, later pleading guilty to one misdemeanor count.—
Katie Langford,
The Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Most recent mock drafts are also split between an offensive lineman or cornerback Will Johnson from Michigan.—
Jim Sergent,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
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Take a look at how Omar Kelly envisions the first round playing out in the second and likely final version of his mock draft, unless there’s a trade made before Thursday night’s first-round kickoff.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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While petty revenge can be amusing—and satisfying in the moment—Best suggested a different approach to dealing with strained neighbor relationships.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
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Throughout the series, the strained relationship between father and son highlights the repercussions of family communication breakdowns.—
Laurel Donnellan,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spurious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurious. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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