Definition of hoax
transitive verb
: to trick into believing or accepting as genuine something false and often preposterous were hoaxed by the website
hoaxer
nounExplore M-W
Examples of hoax in a Sentence
a skilled forger who hoaxed the art world into believing that the paintings were long-lost Vermeers
Recent Examples of hoax from the Web
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Barclays CEO replied to hoax email purportedly from chairman Just 62% of U.K. businesses surveyed restrict personal devices Executives tempted to chuckle at bank chief Jes Staley’s recent email missteps might want to hold off on the smugness.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hoax.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of hoax
probably contraction of hocus
hoax
Definition of hoax
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
The bomb threat is probably a hoax, but we should still evacuate the building.
She was the victim of a cruel hoax.
Recent Examples of hoax from the Web
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Most false alarms are not made to cause problems or as a joke — often its people using radios improperly, according to the Coast Guard — though some are straight up hoaxes.
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For information about how to report spam messages and avoid hoaxes, click here for Facebook's guide.
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The latter is headed by always-shirtless conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, whose far-right fans believe Sandy Hook was a hoax and that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are literal demons.
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The Post's Fact Checker recently compiled a timeline of every Russia story Trump alleged was a hoax by Democrats and found that, many times, Trump contradicted his own past statements or statements from members of his administration.
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The death hoax came amid a rocky few days for Ethereum.
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Ditto, for that matter, the idea that coal is the future of energy, and that climate change is a hoax.
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After searching the campus east of Bel Air for some two hours, no one with a firearm was found; police could not say if the report was a hoax or false alarm.
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As an advertiser, I'm repulsed that @megynkelly would give a second of airtime to someone who says Sandy Hook and Aurora are hoaxes.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hoax.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of hoax
see 1hoax
HOAX Defined for English Language Learners
hoax
Definition of hoax for English Language Learners
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: an act that is meant to trick or deceive people
HOAX Defined for Kids
Definition of hoax for Students
hoaxed
;hoaxing
: to trick into thinking something is true or real when it isn't
Definition of hoax for Students
1 : an act meant to fool or deceive
2 : something false passed off as real
Learn More about hoax
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See words that rhyme with hoax Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hoax Spanish Central: Translation of hoax Nglish: Translation of hoax for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of hoax for Arabic speakers
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