were not fooled

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "were not fooled" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that someone was not deceived or tricked by a situation or statement. Example: "Despite the elaborate scheme, we were not fooled by their attempts to mislead us."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

20 human-written examples

They were not fooled.

The New York Times

The judges were not fooled.

The New York Times

The coyotes were not fooled.

The New York Times

The spirits were not fooled.

The New York Times - Magazine

Evidently, the voters were not fooled.

The New Yorker

But the American people were not fooled.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

36 human-written examples

Consumers weren't fooled.

The New York Times

But bookstores weren't fooled.

The New Yorker

But Australians weren't fooled.

The Guardian - Opinion

But his fans weren't fooled.

The New Yorker

But consumers weren't fooled.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "were not fooled", ensure that the subject clearly identifies who was not deceived and that the context makes clear what they were not deceived by. For example, "The experienced investigators were not fooled by the suspect's alibi."

Common error

Avoid using "were not fooled by themselves". The passive voice already implies that someone or something else did the fooling. Adding "by themselves" creates a redundant and grammatically awkward construction.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "were not fooled" functions as a passive construction, indicating that the subject of the sentence was the recipient of an action (an attempt to deceive) but was not successfully deceived. Ludwig examples confirm its use in describing situations where deception failed.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

95%

Formal & Business

2%

Wiki

1%

Less common in

Science

1%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "were not fooled" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to indicate that someone was not deceived. As Ludwig AI states, the phrase is correct and usable in written English. Its neutral register and widespread use in news and media sources, like The New York Times and The Guardian, underscore its versatility. While "were not deceived" offers a more formal alternative, "were not fooled" effectively communicates the discernment of the subject in recognizing and resisting deception. The prevalence of this phrase suggests its importance in conveying transparency and awareness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

were not deceived

Replaces "fooled" with a more formal synonym, "deceived".

were not tricked

Substitutes "fooled" with "tricked", another common synonym.

were not misled

Replaces "fooled" with "misled", emphasizing the act of being guided wrongly.

were not duped

Substitutes "fooled" with "duped", suggesting a cunning deception attempt.

were not hoodwinked

Replaces "fooled" with "hoodwinked", indicating a clever and deceptive trick.

saw through

Uses a phrasal verb to convey the idea of understanding a deception.

were not taken in

Employs a passive construction with "taken in" to express the lack of deception.

were not bamboozled

Substitutes "fooled" with "bamboozled", implying a confusing and misleading deception.

were not conned

Replaces "fooled" with "conned", suggesting a fraudulent scheme.

remained unconvinced

Shifts the focus to a lack of belief rather than direct deception.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "were not fooled" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, consider alternatives such as "were not deceived", "remained unconvinced", or "were not misled". These options offer a more sophisticated and professional tone.

What does "were not fooled" mean?

The phrase "were not fooled" means that someone or a group of people did not believe a lie or deception. They recognized the truth despite attempts to mislead them.

How to use "were not fooled" in a sentence?

You can use "were not fooled" to indicate that someone recognized a deception attempt. For example, "The jury "were not fooled" by the defendant's emotional testimony".

Is it correct to say "was not fooled" instead of "were not fooled"?

The correct form depends on the subject's number. Use "was not fooled" for singular subjects (e.g., "He was not fooled") and ""were not fooled"" for plural subjects (e.g., "They were not fooled").