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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Using that spurious justification, ICE agents have detained, assaulted, and even — in the case of Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti — killed people for recording.
—
Andrew Case, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
This is spurious and completely unfounded.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2026
Koren testified, on the basis of these spurious tests, that a toddler must have been ingesting substantial quantities of cocaine for about fourteen months.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
The spurious designation of Qassem Soleimani as a global terrorist, something long requested by Benjamin Netanyahu, gave the green light for the expansion of the designation to other entities long held off from the moniker out of fear of its implications.
—Séamus Malekafzali, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spurious
Andrew Case, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
This is spurious and completely unfounded.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2026
Koren testified, on the basis of these spurious tests, that a toddler must have been ingesting substantial quantities of cocaine for about fourteen months.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
The spurious designation of Qassem Soleimani as a global terrorist, something long requested by Benjamin Netanyahu, gave the green light for the expansion of the designation to other entities long held off from the moniker out of fear of its implications.
—Séamus Malekafzali, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spurious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurious
Adjective
-
Prosecutors alleged Roberts knowingly lacked employment authorization for nearly all of his two-decade career in urban education and submitted a counterfeit Social Security card when he was hired as superintendent of the Des Moines public school district, which serves 30,000 students.—
Hannah Fingerhut,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
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Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin then told CBS in May that ICE would be focused on counterfeit products, particularly tickets and clothing.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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Today, rumors circulating on social media in the DRC include false claims that Ebola is not real, that humanitarian workers are descending on the area solely for their own profit and that aid groups are withholding the best care available.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
29 May 2026
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In January, Roberts pleaded guilty to making a false statement for employment and one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm while being in the country illegally.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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After testing against other economic variables that may have contributed to higher costs, and comparing housing activity in high-fraud ZIP codes to low-fraud ones in the same county, the researchers found illegitimate PPP loans to be one of the core drivers of housing prices.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
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That does not automatically mean every lawsuit involving a president and an executive agency is illegitimate.—
Andrew Leahey,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
In the show, shy Briar U music major Hannah Wells (Ella Bright) and cocky team captain Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) begin fake-dating to try to catch the attention of Hannah’s crush.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
28 May 2026
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The schemes involve the use of fake court documents regarding false traffic and criminal infractions.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Lewis oversaw workshops with school kids himself, traveling to schools in his free time, staging mock trials and handing out copies of legal documents, like the Constitution.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
-
Each year, a different brother played Paddy, lying in the coffin, where he was roasted by a series of mock eulogies.—
Peter Hessler,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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He was charged with possession of a forged license plate, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, failure to stop for police, traffic offenses, and an outstanding warrant out of Natick District Court.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
16 May 2026
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She was additionally found guilty of insurance fraud for taking out a $100,000 insurance policy on her husband's life with his forged signature and for submitting a claim following his death.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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In a nearby tent was Zuhoor Musa Abdul Rahman, a 30-year-old housewife who recounted with unnatural calm the horrors that spurred her to flee El Fasher, a city some 300 miles east of Obeid.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
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Only Maddie saw the unnatural, violent pull back inside, and most of the scares that follow likewise blur the line between reality and fantasy.—
Elena Lazic,
Variety,
24 May 2026
Adjective
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Last year, Hernández played in just one rehab game returning from a strained groin.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
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Large parts of its war effort are now unmanned, the robots, drones, and remotely piloted tanks giving it a sudden, albeit fragile, edge over a lumbering and strained Russian invader.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spurious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurious. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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