The Clue
Sham (4 letter answer)
The Answer
FAKE
Tags
Notes
The answer FAKE is uncommon, appearing about once every 475 puzzles.
Related Clues
Bogus
Charlatan
Counterfeit
Ersatz
Faux
Forgery
Fraudulent
Impostor
Mountebank
Spurious
Deceptive play
False move
Four-flusher
Handoff that isn't
Improvise, in jazz
Not real
QB's feint
Like some furs
Like knockoff goods
Like a flea-market Gucci, probably
Definition
FAKE as a noun:
1. (fake, sham, postiche) = something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be
2. (imposter, impostor, pretender, fake, faker, fraud, sham, shammer, pseudo, pseud, role player) = a person who makes deceitful pretenses
3. (juke, fake) = (football) a deceptive move made by a football player
FAKE as a verb:
1. (forge, fake, counterfeit) = make a copy of with the intent to deceive; "he faked the signature"; "they counterfeited dollar bills"; "She forged a Green Card"
2. (fudge, manipulate, fake, falsify, cook, wangle, misrepresent) = fake or falsify; "Fudge the figures"; "cook the books"; "falsify the data"
3. (bullshit, bull, fake) = talk through one's hat; "The politician was not well prepared for the debate and faked it"
FAKE as an adjective:
1. (bogus, fake, phony, phoney, bastard) = fraudulent; having a misleading appearance
2. (fake, false, faux, imitation, simulated) = not genuine or real; being an imitation of the genuine article; "it isn't fake anything; it's real synthetic fur"; "faux pearls"; "false teeth"; "decorated with imitation palm leaves"; "a purse of simulated alligator hide"