1
as in fake
being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud
counterfeit currency that had been passed all over town
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in double
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
when it comes to the poor, his compassion is so counterfeit—he gives a damn, and that's all that he gives
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in hoax
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
the will as well as the other documents turned out to be counterfeits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to fake
to imitate or copy especially in order to deceive
an expert at counterfeiting money
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
managing to counterfeit a happy expression while visiting a sick friend
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of counterfeit
Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Two men have been sentenced to federal prison for distributing counterfeit pills with fentanyl and other substances in them.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 19 June 2025
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
Marcus Ray Chavez, 30, gave the girl counterfeit pills containing fentanyl on at least four occasions between September and November of 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2025
Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 20 Mar. 2025
When he was arrested in November, Jackson was in a car with another person, where Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies also found a printer and counterfeit $2, $5, $10, $20 and $100 bills.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacramento Bee, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterfeit
Adjective
The Comité records all transactions, track the movement, manages the reserve and protects the appellation against counterfeit products.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Two men have been sentenced to federal prison for distributing counterfeit pills with fentanyl and other substances in them.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 19 June 2025
Noun
On counterfeits, the color is almost always wrong, usually a highlighter shade of yellow instead.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
Marcus Ray Chavez, 30, gave the girl counterfeit pills containing fentanyl on at least four occasions between September and November of 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
What about the increasingly complex supply chain for electronics, involving international sourcing, multi-stage assembly, and potentially counterfeiting?
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 20 Mar. 2025
When he was arrested in November, Jackson was in a car with another person, where Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies also found a printer and counterfeit $2, $5, $10, $20 and $100 bills.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacramento Bee, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterfeit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterfeit
Adjective
-
There’s a massive global scam operation that uses real payment methods on fake checkout pages.—
Kim Komando The Kim Komando Show,
FOXNews.com,
12 July 2025
-
Additional increases in the quantity and quality of weapons sent to Ukraine would underpin that message and would have a better chance than anything else of persuading Putin to replace fake negotiations with the real thing.—
The Editors,
National Review,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Following Lopez, reliever Elvis Alvarado nearly threw two spotless frames with four strikeouts until a 70 mph blooper to right resulted in a double that took him out of the game.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
13 July 2025
-
But the Twins found the equalizer in the fourth when Harrison Bader singled to start the frame, went to second on a Christian Vasquez groundout, and came home when Byron Buxton dropped a double at the base of the wall in left field.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
13 July 2025
Noun
-
That person later admitted in a Substack post that his claim to represent the band was itself a hoax.—
Natalie Kainz,
NBC news,
3 July 2025
-
Whiting insisted there was nothing to suggest the note Meyer's birth mom had left was a hoax.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
3 July 2025
Verb
-
Those helming businesses are required to make a crucial call about staying the course amid uncertainty or forging a brave, new path.—
Naazneen Karmali,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
-
Combs founded Bad Boy Records in 1993 and forged a roster of stars that jettisoned hip-hop into the mainstream, including the late Notorious B.I.G., Mase, Faith Evans and the groups 112 and Total, among others.—
Curtis Bunn,
NBC news,
3 July 2025
Verb
-
At the time, he was asked why viewers should pay attention to a young actor pretending to be an undercover cop.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
10 July 2025
-
Your audience sees through attempts to brag while pretending to be humble.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration report said that driver also made a false report related to hours of service.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 July 2025
-
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the claims are false.—
Alicia Victoria Lozano,
NBC news,
3 July 2025
Noun
-
American Heart Debuts at No. 1 Luminate reports that in its first seven days of availability in the country, American Heart sold 30,000 copies.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
-
His 1806 map does not have street names, but a copy kept with the Library of Congress shows numerical markings below all but one of the streets running perpendicular to the Ohio River.—
Leo Bertucci,
The Courier-Journal,
5 July 2025
Verb
-
What constitutes the crime is to phony up business accounting records to disguise the payments.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2024
-
In fact, legislators and regulators are rolling back regulations designed to protect investors, who in this case are estimated to have lost $100 billion to phony Chinese firms.—
Gary Thompson,
Philly.com,
29 Mar. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Counterfeit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterfeit. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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