The answer is BAAL (4 letters).
Why BAAL fits
BAAL is the most common answer. It is the Canaanite deity repeatedly condemned in the Hebrew Bible, which is precisely why crossword convention treats it as the archetypal false god. IDOL also fits four letters and appears almost as often, so the crossings usually decide between them.
Every answer by letter count
| Letters | Answer | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | BAAL | The named Canaanite deity |
| 4 | IDOL | When the clue means an object of misplaced worship |
| 6 | MOLOCH | When the clue references child sacrifice |
| 5 | DAGON | Philistine deity, less common |
| 6 | MAMMON | When the clue frames wealth as a false god |
Clues that share these answers
- Object of worship
- Golden calf, for one
- Biblical idol
- Canaanite deity
- Graven image
Why the definition is doing double duty
False god is one of those clues where the setter is exploiting an ambiguity in English. It can name a specific deity that a text treats as false, which points at BAAL, DAGON or MOLOCH. Or it can describe the category of anything wrongly worshipped, which points at IDOL or MAMMON. The clue reads identically either way.
American puzzles lean toward BAAL and IDOL because both are four letters. British and cryptic puzzles are more willing to use MAMMON, often with a wordplay hint at money somewhere in the surface reading.
Where this clue tends to appear
False god shows up most in early week American puzzles, where short biblical entries are standard fill, and in themed grids built around mythology. It is rare in late week puzzles because the definition is considered too well worn to carry a hard clue.
The related clue graven image is worth learning as a pair. It almost always wants IDOL rather than BAAL, because the phrase describes an object rather than naming a deity. Setters alternate between the two surfaces while pointing at the same short answers, so recognising the pairing saves time.
Confirming it in your grid
Count the squares before committing. If the length matches the row above and one crossing letter agrees, you can fill the rest with confidence. When two answers of the same length both fit the clue, the crossings decide it, and it is usually faster to solve the crossing entry than to argue with the definition.