fake out

See also: fakeout

English

Verb

fake out (third-person singular simple present fakes out, present participle faking out, simple past and past participle faked out)

1. (transitive, informal) To deceive, mislead, or trick (someone).
   • 1989 November 16, Kristin Casler, “Police Recover Stolen Gun”, in The Morning Call, Pennsylvania, USA, retrieved 14 January 2012, page B1:

     Rhyder, who police later concluded had been faking them out during the pursuit by reaching into his pants several times for a gun, actually had been searching frantically for the weapon.

   • 2005 October 13, King Kaufman, “King Kaufman’s Sports Daily”, in salon.com, retrieved 14 January 2012:

     There’s no reason for the catcher to try to spoof the ump, fake him out, in that situation. . . . There’s no need for deception.

   • 2007 August 19, Susan Dominus, “Dangerous When Interested”, in New York Times, retrieved 14 January 2012:

     Wee-Man ran up to Williams to shake hands, then faked her out, running his hand through his hair instead.

Usage notes

• The object of this verb is usually placed between fake and out.
• Often used in a sporting context to indicate a situation in which a player is lured out of position or put off stride by a misleading movement by an opposing player.

Derived terms

• fakeout (noun)

Related terms

• head fake

 

References

• “fake out”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• outfake