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
Relevance
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
as in lying
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissembling
Noun
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But these seductions or deceptions are canceled when the work confronts us with the photographic records of the performative procedure itself—and not only by making the photograph an integral component, the dialectical complement to the material sculptural production.—
Benjamin H. D. Buchloh,
Artforum,
1 June 2025 -
He’s got some deception on the puck and does a good job holding onto it to wait for secondary options to open up, but slows the game down too much.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Noun
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None of these spring explorations of sisterly deceit and self-deception has been able to surpass Apple TV+’s Bad Sisters as the recent genre peak.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2025
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Starring Tom Cruise, the movies are loaded with action, deceit and globe-spanning adventures – everything a good spy film should be.—
Keith Langston,
People.com,
24 May 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
Adjective
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Impulsive, egocentric, and mendacious, Trump has, in the same span, set fire to the integrity of his office.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
27 Apr. 2025
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Her unsettling command of the character — who was equal parts sweet, vulnerable, mendacious, and menacing — was one of the highlights of the series.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Instead of assuming what people want or need, AI and machine learning analyze actual data and recommend alternatives based on individual situations.—
Alison Coleman,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
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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
Noun
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More than £46 billion in loans had been disbursed by various lenders through the scheme, according to the Department for Business and Trade, but the agency also admitted there had been more than 100,000 cases of loss due to fraud and error.—
Robert Olsen,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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Instead of addressing waste and fraud and providing adults with a path to productive and independent lives through meaningful work, the Pritzker administration attacks these reform efforts.—
Regan Deering,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2025
Noun
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That kind of hypocrisy on self-enrichment could become a weak point for the GOP and a clear opening for Democrats to attack.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 June 2025
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But that stumble constitutes Hwang’s only confrontation with the hypocrisy that ruins Yellow Face and its inherent PBS conceit.—
Armond White,
National Review,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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The rise of Darth Vader Anakin Skywalker discovers Palpatine's true identity as a Sith Lord and backs him instead of the Jedi Masters who intended to arrest the duplicitous chancellor. —As seen in Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
25 May 2025
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In scenes that take up so much more screentime than is strictly necessary, Ethan gets back on the trail of Gabriel (Esai Morales), the Entity’s duplicitous sidekick, who aims to bring it under his control once its plan gets underway.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
14 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Dissembling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissembling. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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