1
as in weaseled
to avoid giving a definite answer or position
the candidate was criticized for fudging on most of the questions during the debate
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2
as in cheated
to use dishonest methods to achieve a goal
she's been fudging on her taxes for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in distorted
to change so much as to create a wrong impression or alter the meaning of
fudged the facts about his educational background so he could get the position
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in manipulated
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fudged
Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025
Local police department statistics show violent crime in Washington has declined in recent years, but Trump has countered, without offering evidence, that the numbers were fudged.
—Darlene Superville, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
The last time Tesla tried to reward and incentivize Musk, a $56 billion pay package granted in 2018 tied to revenue and market-capitalization milestones was twice nixed by a Delaware court, which ruled the company had fudged its disclosures to shareholders.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2025
If the final numbers were fudged, employees who worked on inputs to those numbers would realize that and speak up, Hall said.
—Paul Davidson, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Orange Lutheran reexamined the paperwork, found it had been fudged, self-reported its findings to the CIF-SS office and now is 2-6 overall going into Friday’s game against Santa Margarita.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025
Local police department statistics show violent crime in Washington has declined in recent years, but Trump has countered, without offering evidence, that the numbers were fudged.
—Darlene Superville, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
The last time Tesla tried to reward and incentivize Musk, a $56 billion pay package granted in 2018 tied to revenue and market-capitalization milestones was twice nixed by a Delaware court, which ruled the company had fudged its disclosures to shareholders.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2025
If the final numbers were fudged, employees who worked on inputs to those numbers would realize that and speak up, Hall said.
—Paul Davidson, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fudged
Verb
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James' office probed allegations that the organization inflated the former president's net worth by billions of dollars and cheated lenders and others with false and misleading financial statements.—
Ivan Pereira,
ABC News,
9 Oct. 2025
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Learn about the latest scam that has cheated companies out of millions.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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These frequent misrepresentations can damage trust not only in the systems themselves but also in news organizations whose content is being distorted.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
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Some items may become distorted or break down over time if washed with the wrong materials.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute said the ad misrepresented the former president’s words.—
Auzinea Bacon,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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Now, both the church leader and congregant say the post misrepresented what happened.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The company in 2020 pleaded guilty to distributing adulterated ice-cream products and agreed to pay a fine over the outbreak.—
Dylan Tokar,
WSJ,
2 Feb. 2023
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And while most of those overdoses involved the illicit synthetic opioid fentanyl, experts say that an adulterated and contaminated drug supply is also leading to deaths.—
Nadia Kounang,
CNN,
17 Mar. 2022
Adjective
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One of them, Hip Optical, which touts designer eyewear at non-designer prices, opened earlier this year across from the Apple Store and near True Food Kitchen and BJ’s Brewhouse.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
24 May 2024
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The order arrived as a white, non-designer T-shirt, size 2XL.—
Sha Hua,
WSJ,
21 June 2022
Cite this Entry
“Fudged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fudged. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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