hoax

1 of 2

verb

hoaxed; hoaxing; hoaxes

transitive verb

: to trick into believing or accepting as genuine something false and often preposterous
were hoaxed by the website
hoaxer noun

hoax

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act intended to trick or dupe : imposture
the victim of a cruel hoax
assumed the bomb threat was just a hoax
2
: something accepted or established by fraud or fabrication
believes the Loch Ness Monster is a hoax
a literary hoax

Examples of hoax in a Sentence

Verb a skilled forger who hoaxed the art world into believing that the paintings were long-lost Vermeers Noun The bomb threat is probably a hoax, but we should still evacuate the building. She was the victim of a cruel hoax.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Doxxed addresses have led to hoax 911 calls that prompted SWAT teams to raid victims’ homes. Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 10 June 2024 Such criticism has led some police to respond more aggressively to hoax school shooting calls. Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 5 Oct. 2023
Noun
But there was something even more significant: For a generation, conservatives — not just the far right, which Crusius appeared to identify with — had propelled the notion that climate change was a hoax fabricated so the government could impose new restrictions on the economy and society. Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2024 In Finland, teaching students to spot disinformation and fake news Being able to identify hoaxes, avoid scams, and debunk propaganda is a civic skill required in today's information society. David Morgan, CBS News, 26 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hoax 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hoax.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

probably contraction of hocus

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1796, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1808, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hoax was circa 1796

Dictionary Entries Near hoax

Cite this Entry

“Hoax.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoax. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

hoax

noun
ˈhōks
1
: an act intended to trick or deceive
2
: something false passed off or accepted as genuine
hoax verb
hoaxer noun

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