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concoction

concoction

4 6.3
An invented story or plan made to trick people
  • noun
  • /kənˈkɑkʃən/
translation icon : invención
  • The villain's plan was a concoction designed to deceive the heroes.
  • a deadly concoction
  • a concoction of love

And I think it's exactly where all the action is give, give, give and then ask instead of have some sort of concoction that is fake give with the hope of taking.

Examples

  • Despite her efforts to keep them simple and believable, the concoctions were growing increasingly more elaborate, calling out for attention, for praise, for a final fall.

    Academic text (2007)
  • He created an elaborate concoction of lies to explain his absence.

  • What is this concoction you've come up with?

  • A deeply flawed concoction thought up by George Lucas.

  • You're aware that suburbs are a government concoction?

    Blog text (2)
  • I'd never seen such a concoction of humanity that was now gathered in advance of a surefire hit.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • It's a little concoction that he's been perfecting since his days with the S.I.S.

  • Don't be concerned; the big drugstore chains will laugh you out of their office when you come up with your concoction.

    Blog text (25)
  • His Iran policy continued to be a phony concoction of non-existent dialogue and toothless sanctions, posted immediately.

    Blog text (7)
  • After several hours of discussion, they came up with a clever concoction to solve the problem.

Synonyms

pretense
vsconcoction
  • US
65 6.1

A false claim or action to hide the truth

is more about an invented plot or excuse than a general appearance
ruse
vsconcoction
53 7.7

A clever trick to deceive someone

is often a full invented narrative rather than a brief trick
pretext
vsconcoction
42 6.7

A false reason people give to hide what they really want

is broader, being any invented scheme or excuse, often elaborate
fabrication
vsconcoction
29 6.5

A false story made to trick people

is a made-up elaborate tale rather than just altered facts
subterfuge
vsconcoction
19 9.5

A trick or excuse to hide the real reason

is a single invented tale or excuse often meant to deceive
smoke and mirrors
vsconcoction
  • Informal
19 7.4

Actions that hide the truth by making things look better

is a concrete invented story rather than mainly distraction tactics
artifice
vsconcoction
  • Formal
11 8.1

A clever trick that deceives people or hides the truth

is more narrowly an invented story or excuse, often elaborate
hocus-pocus
vsconcoction
9 8.1

Words or actions that trick people by seeming magical

is an invented scheme or excuse, usually not theatrical magic
deception
vsconcoction
6 4.3

A trick that makes something look like real magic

is specifically an invented tale or excuse, often elaborate and detailed
fakery
vsconcoction
6 6.8

A thing or action made to trick people into thinking it is real

is specifically an invented narrative or excuse used to deceive
falsification
vsconcoction
  • Formal
5 7.7

To make a document or record false on purpose by changing its information

is an invented story or scheme rather than changing existing facts
contrivance
vsconcoction
1 8.1

A plan made to trick people

is focused on an invented tale or excuse rather than a device
cock and bull story
vsconcoction
  • Informal
7.2

A false story people tell to hide the real reason

is similar but often more elaborate or crafted as an excuse

Antonyms

1.0

Something that can be shown to be true, not an opinion

1.0

A fact that shows how things really are

Compounds

A mix made from herbs to help health and ease sickness

How Elaborate

to alibi
3 7.1
concoction
4 6.3
story
1.0
fabrication
29 6.5
to excuse
178 2.5
lie
2.7

Surface Forms

concoction singular
concoctions plural

Morphology

concoction = concoct (semi-transparent) = concoct + ion

The noun is a nominalization of 'concoct' used metaphorically for an invented story; the relation is clear but figurative rather than strictly literal.

Etymology

Concoction can also mean a made-up story or plan because it comes from the idea of 'cooking together', from con- 'together' and coquere 'to cook'. A helpful way to remember this is 'to cook up' a story, so a concoction is something someone has invented or put together to trick or surprise.