COUNTERFEITS Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

counterfeits 1 of 2

noun

plural of counterfeit

as in hoaxes

an imitation that is passed off as genuine the will as well as the other documents turned out to be counterfeits

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

originals

counterfeits

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of counterfeit

as in fakes

to imitate or copy especially in order to deceive an expert at counterfeiting money

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in pretends

to present a false appearance of managing to counterfeit a happy expression while visiting a sick friend

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of counterfeits

Noun

The European Commission previously said AliExpress breached its obligations under the DSA, which required it to diligently assess and mitigate the risks of counterfeits. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 22 July 2026 Masherah also emphasized keeping Jordan with Upper Deck provides collectors a safe place to acquire authenticated Jordan autographed memorabilia when there are so many fakes and counterfeits floating around. — Larry Holder, New York Times, 8 July 2026 Luxus focuses on pristine-condition assets with clear provenance, reducing risks associated with counterfeits and quality degradation. — Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 Unprosecuted crimes against the public — such as the widespread sale of 78-cent postage stamps for 19 cents to 59 cents, rolls of 100, counterfeits all, for years online. — Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026 Its expert team enforces strict production rules, promotes the brand globally, fights counterfeits and certifies every wheel. — Antonia Mortensen, CNN Money, 2 May 2026 Greece, home to an extensive repository of cultural artifacts, has long contended with the proliferation of counterfeits and the looting of archaeological sites. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 9 Apr. 2026 By 2009, Nakamoto took Bitcoin from theory to reality, mining the Genesis Block, and then, once the rules were set, protections against counterfeits were secured, and Bitcoin began to circulate—still worth next to nothing—Nakamoto vanished. — Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 17 Mar. 2026 While many online retailers and marketplaces have taken steps to address the marketing of counterfeits, others still haven’t put the requisite measures in place—like notice and takedown procedures, identity verification and policies to punish offenders—that would curb the behavior. — Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 5 Mar. 2026

Verb

This makes Temu counterfeits more difficult for consumers to spot while browsing, and more difficult to determine are counterfeit upon receipt of the goods. — Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 25 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterfeits

Noun

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says those threats were likely swatting hoaxes.

— WCCO Staff, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Certain corners of the web promote hoaxes and hate speech and reputational sabotage.

— David Friend, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of hoaxes

Verb

When Jeremy doesn’t succeed in killing her, Verity fakes her paralysis while using his time out of the house to bond with their son and write these letters.

— Glamour, Glamour, 2 Oct. 2026
Seminole fakes the extra point kick and Luis Ojeda-Robles runs the ball in for the two point conversion.

— Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of fakes

Verb

Directed by Kim Han-gyul, the film is an adaptation of 2012 Swedish film Cockpit about a pilot who pretends to be his own younger sister after being fired from his job.

— Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026
Everyone pretends the films were chosen purely on merit, but the slate often reads Hollywood with a lanyard and a conscience.

— Joseph Kahn, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of pretends

Noun

On the editorial side, this includes the licenses for reproductions in books like exhibition catalogs, scholarly tomes, and even the covers of novels, as well as publications, for news coverage and criticism for exhibitions as well as general use.

— Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
But De Kooning would apply fragments of the reproductions to new compositions, often in different orientations.

— Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of reproductions

Verb

Sutskever is the moral center of the film and grows increasingly uncomfortable as Altman forges ahead with complicated AI models that have learned how to lie, willfully ignoring risks.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
The Librarians, which premiered at Sundance in early 2025 and broadcast on PBS in early 2026, has been years in the making, but the battle at its core still forges on.

— Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of forges

Verb

In turn, Philippine authorities temporarily banned GoreBox, a sandbox-style action game that simulates violence and destruction using weapons.

— Chad de Guzman, Time, 14 Oct. 2026
The technology, which is integrated into a miniature laboratory called CubeLab, was developed by Space Tango and simulates the natural environment in the human body.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of simulates

Noun

Researchers at the company tested how AI models might act as computer worms, programs that move between devices and leave copies of themselves behind, among everyday household gadgets.

— Peter Hall, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026
An army of Janeites, no doubt wielding their worn copies of Sense and Sensibility, are marching into cinemas around the world to watch an adaptation for a whole new generation.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of copies

Verb

This implicit passivity assumes that technology, rather than people, will determine AI’s impact on work.

— Byron Auguste, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
In the novel, likewise, the narrator assumes an almost Homeric guise, comparing current harbor gossip to chatter from the Phoenician, Cretan, Greek, and Roman eras.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of assumes

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counterfeiting

counterfeits

counterforce

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Style

“Counterfeits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterfeits. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of counterfeits

noun

verb

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