Meaning & use
forge paperwork
Last updated
Meanings
phraseidiom
To make false official documents in order to trick people or authorities.
Grammar: Acts as one verb phrase; it takes an object, and paperwork stays uncountable, so never say 'a paperwork'.
Patterns
- forge paperwork for something
- forge paperwork to do something
- be accused of forging paperwork
The clerk was arrested after he forged paperwork to sell company cars that did not exist.
She forged paperwork showing that the building had passed its safety inspection.
Investigators found that he had forged paperwork for at least twelve fake loans.
phraseidiomfigurative
To create false records or forms that look genuine, especially to hide a mistake or a crime.
Grammar: Often used in the passive: the paperwork was forged by someone.
Patterns
- paperwork was forged
- forge paperwork to cover something up
The manager forged paperwork to cover up the missing payments.
When the audit began, they quickly forged paperwork that made the losses look legal.
Common combinations
- forge documents
- He forged documents to open a bank account under a false name.
- forge a signature
- Someone forged my signature on the contract.
- fake paperwork
- The customs officers spotted the fake paperwork immediately.
- falsify records
- The company was fined for falsifying its records.
- forge a passport
- They tried to leave the country on a forged passport.
Synonyms and how they differ
- falsify
- Falsify is more formal and often used for records, accounts, or results rather than physical documents.
- fake
- Fake is more informal and can describe making anything look real, not only official papers.
- counterfeit
- Counterfeit is used mainly for money, goods, or branded products rather than paperwork.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: forge paperwork or forge? forge paperwork or fudge?
forge paperwork vs forge
Forge alone can mean 'make something false' or, in a workshop, 'shape metal with heat'; the paperwork phrase always has the dishonest meaning.
forge paperwork vs fudge
Fudge paperwork means to change figures slightly and dishonestly, which sounds less serious than forging whole documents.
Practice
The accountant was fired for ______ to hide the missing money.
Choose one answer.
After the preposition 'for' we need the -ing form, and 'paperwork' is uncountable, so 'forging paperwork' is correct. 'Forging a paperwork' is wrong because of the article, and 'forge paperwork' cannot follow 'for'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “forge paperwork”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.