fudged; fudging
2
: to fail to come to grips with : dodge
fudged the issue
1
: to exceed the proper bounds or limits of something
feel that the author has fudged a little on the … rules for crime fiction—
Newsweek
Newsweek2
: to fail to perform as expected
3
: to avoid commitment : hedge
the government's tendency to fudge on delicate matters of policy—Claire Sterling
Claire Sterling1
: foolish nonsense
—often used interjectionally to express annoyance, disappointment, or disbelief
2
: a soft creamy candy made typically of sugar, milk, butter, and flavoring
3
: something that is fudged
especially
: a bending of rules or a compromise
Synonyms
Verb
Noun
- applesauce [slang]
- balderdash
- baloney
- boloney
- beans
- bilge
- blah
- blah-blah
- blarney
- blather
- blatherskite
- blither
- bosh
- bull [slang]
- bunk
- bunkum
- buncombe
- claptrap
- codswallop [British]
- crapola [slang]
- crock
- drivel
- drool
- fiddle
- fiddle-faddle
- fiddlesticks
- flannel [British]
- flapdoodle
- folderol
- falderal
- folly
- foolishness
- garbage
- guff
- hogwash
- hokeypokey
- hokum
- hoodoo
- hooey
- horsefeathers [slang]
- humbug
- humbuggery
- jazz
- malarkey
- malarky
- moonshine
- muck
- nerts [slang]
- nonsense
- nuts
- piffle
- poppycock
- punk
- rot
- rubbish
- senselessness
- silliness
- slush
- stupidity
- taradiddle
- tarradiddle
- tommyrot
- tosh
- trash
- trumpery
- twaddle
Examples of fudge in a Sentence
Verb
Politicians have been known to fudge the issues.
The treasurer fudged the figures.
It was later discovered that the researchers had fudged their data.
Noun
We bought three kinds of fudge.
His response to these charges has been a series of denials and fudges.
Recent Examples on the WebLeif Wenar, WIRED, 27 Mar. 2024
Yet, does a smidge of fudging critical research really make that much of a difference?
—David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024
Honest leaders cannot tolerate lying, fudging data, misrepresenting themselves or their companies, or engaging in any other conduct that displays contempt for the truth.
—Bruce Weinstein, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
The results were damning: Wirecard had been fudging its numbers.
—Joel Khalili, WIRED, 26 Feb. 2024
The tax agency is launching audits to see if companies fudge deductions for their jets, which number more than 10,000 in the United States.
—Bynick Rockel, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2024
So, with a little rounding, and a bit of fudging with fractions, it could be said that Friday fell almost exactly five-ninths of the way through winter.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2024
At issue is whether Hershey fudged on the packaging of seasonal treats.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 8 Jan. 2024
Luckily, these questions are easy to fudge or finesse.
—Callum Borchers, WSJ, 14 Dec. 2023
Katy Spratte Joyce, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2024
The limited-edition donut offerings also included a donut stuffed with dark chocolate fudge cream, a donut dipped in a milk chocolate icing and drizzled with extra chocolate and one Hershey’s chocolate cake overload donut.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Serve up some sweet memories with recipes like Coca Cola cake and old-fashioned fudge.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2024
And while there's no river of chocolate to sail on, Abbott's has a lot of fudge to enjoy.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Mar. 2024
Crisp aromas that include blueberries, mocha, butterscotch, fresh baked fudge brownies and raspberry juice.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
The taste is described on Monsoon Chocolate's website as fudge and salted plum, made with a distinctive salt harvested from an estuary where the Sonoran Desert meets the Sea of Cortez.
—Endia Fontanez, The Arizona Republic, 23 Jan. 2024
These pans can be fun, but are best used in no-bake applications, like making fudge or ice cream.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2024
Fill your tray with 30 nuggets, 10 Chick-n-Minis (during breakfast hours) a dozen chocolate fudge brownie halves, or 6 chocolate chunk cookies (prices $9.80-$19.19).
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2024
Verb
Strong hyping of precise numbers based on weak evidence and lots of hedging and fudging.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 27 Mar. 2024
Yet, does a smidge of fudging critical research really make that much of a difference?
—David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024
Honest leaders cannot tolerate lying, fudging data, misrepresenting themselves or their companies, or engaging in any other conduct that displays contempt for the truth.
—Bruce Weinstein, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
The results were damning: Wirecard had been fudging its numbers.
—Joel Khalili, WIRED, 26 Feb. 2024
The tax agency is launching audits to see if companies fudge deductions for their jets, which number more than 10,000 in the United States.
—Bynick Rockel, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2024
So, with a little rounding, and a bit of fudging with fractions, it could be said that Friday fell almost exactly five-ninths of the way through winter.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2024
At issue is whether Hershey fudged on the packaging of seasonal treats.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 8 Jan. 2024
Luckily, these questions are easy to fudge or finesse.
—Callum Borchers, WSJ, 14 Dec. 2023
Noun
While in town, consider sampling some of the famed Mackinac Island fudge (on its own or in ice cream form).
—Katy Spratte Joyce, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2024
The limited-edition donut offerings also included a donut stuffed with dark chocolate fudge cream, a donut dipped in a milk chocolate icing and drizzled with extra chocolate and one Hershey’s chocolate cake overload donut.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Serve up some sweet memories with recipes like Coca Cola cake and old-fashioned fudge.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2024
And while there's no river of chocolate to sail on, Abbott's has a lot of fudge to enjoy.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Mar. 2024
Crisp aromas that include blueberries, mocha, butterscotch, fresh baked fudge brownies and raspberry juice.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
The taste is described on Monsoon Chocolate's website as fudge and salted plum, made with a distinctive salt harvested from an estuary where the Sonoran Desert meets the Sea of Cortez.
—Endia Fontanez, The Arizona Republic, 23 Jan. 2024
These pans can be fun, but are best used in no-bake applications, like making fudge or ice cream.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2024
Fill your tray with 30 nuggets, 10 Chick-n-Minis (during breakfast hours) a dozen chocolate fudge brownie halves, or 6 chocolate chunk cookies (prices $9.80-$19.19).
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fudge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Fudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fudge. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fudge
2 of 2 noun1
: foolish nonsense
2
: a soft creamy candy made typically of milk, sugar, butter, and flavoring
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