sophistry

noun

Definition of sophistrynext
as in ambiguity
reasoning or arguments that sound correct but are actually false She said that many of the points made during the debate were pure sophistry.

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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 sophistry Fascism creates a world of artifice and sophistry. — Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026 All of whom flock to Monsignor Wicks, drawn by his sophistry and fearsome bully-pulpit magnetism. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2025 Most contemporary observers would have regarded this as misguided sophistry. — Fara Dabhoiwala, Harpers Magazine, 4 June 2025 And if Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta try to point it out before Manchester City faces Arsenal on Sunday, it will be viewed as gamesmanship, or deflection, or unapologetic sophistry. — Rory Smith, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024 See All Example Sentences for sophistry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sophistry
  1. ambiguity
  2. deception
  3. deceptiveness
  4. fiction
Noun
  • That ambiguity is the central problem facing marine carbon dioxide removal, or mCDR.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Christopher Nolan’s recent film reminded me of another time when the world was awash in ambiguity and leaders needed to navigate the perilous voyage across unfamiliar territory.
    — Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of ambiguity
Noun
  • The investigation also found that men from 29 countries were recruited through deception or coercion to fight for Russian forces, in violation of international law.
    — Edith M. Lederer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • But the movie’s most disturbing sequence takes the deception a lot further.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of deception
Noun
  • Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
  • Beyond the deceptiveness of the narrow material view, spiritual light and hope are always present to be found and felt.
    — Sue Brightman, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Jan. 2025
Definition of deceptiveness
Noun
  • Installations blur the line between archival documentation and fiction.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Goebbels interviewed Wessel’s grieving mother and wrote of Jaenichen and Wessel as childhood sweethearts, as though their story was from romance fiction.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of fiction

Browse Nearby Words

sophistication
sophistry
sophomore
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sophistry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sophistry. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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