fabricate

/ˌfæbrəˈkeɪt/

/ˈfæbrɪkeɪt/

Other forms: fabricated; fabricating; fabricates

Do you like to construct mini airplanes from kits? Work on an assembly line? Piece together Ikea furniture? Then you certainly know how to fabricate, or to put together, things.

While fabricate might mean the physical act of construction, it can also mean constructing a falsehood. Watch out — those well versed in the art of fabrication might have an ulterior motive. In the movies, the bad cops sometimes fabricate evidence to make the good guy look guilty. When you tell the teacher the dog ate your homework, you’ve fabricated a pretty silly excuse. So if you’re going to fabricate the truth, get some better material!

Definitions of fabricate

1. verb

   put together out of artificial or natural components or parts
   “the company fabricates plastic chairs”

   synonyms: construct, manufacture

   types:

   mass-produce

   produce on a large scale

   raft

   make into a raft

   type of:

   make

   make by shaping or bringing together constituents
2. verb

   make up something artificial or untrue
   synonyms: cook up, fabulate, invent, make up, manufacture

   types:

   mythologise, mythologize

   construct a myth

   confabulate

   unconsciously replace fact with fantasy in one's memory

   concoct, trump up

   invent

   spin

   make up a story

   vamp, vamp up

   make up

   type of:

   concoct, dream up, hatch, think of, think up

   devise or invent