spoof

1 of 2

verb

ˈspüf 

spoofed; spoofing; spoofs

transitive verb

1

: deceive, hoax

2

: to make good-natured fun of

spoof

2 of 2

noun

1

: hoax, deception

2

: a light humorous parody

spoofery

ˈspü-f(ə-)rē 

noun

spoofy

ˈspü-fē 

adjective

Synonyms

Verb

• parody
• mock
• imitate

Noun

• parody

Examples of spoof in a Sentence

Verb

spoofed overly competitive parents in a mockumentary about tryouts for a national T-ball team

the newspaper was spoofed by a supposedly plausible claim of a UFO encounter

Noun

many viewers thought that the spoof of a television newscast was the real thing

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Weitzman co-wrote and stars in the film, which delights in spoofing tired Hollywood storytelling and franchise fatigue, while toggling between jokes that are exceedingly clever and thrillingly dumb. —William Earl, Variety, 6 Oct. 2025

Benicio Del Toro made a surprise cameo appearance on Saturday Night Live tonight, joining host Bad Bunny and frequent collaborator Marcello Hernandez in a sketch spoofing the idiosyncrasies of the Spanish language. —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 4 Oct. 2025

Noun

Lead Stories is a media organization that specializes in fact-checking and online spoofs. —James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025

After all, that warped sitcom spoof has to be one of the most genuinely demented things to ever air, without a shred of warning and in the middle of the night, on cable TV. —A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Spoof, a hoaxing game invented by Arthur Roberts †1933 English comedian

First Known Use

Verb

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for spoof

• goof
• hoof
• kloof
• poof
• proof
• roof
• woof
• aloof
• behoof
• disproof
• flameproof
• foolproof

Kids Definition

spoof

verb

ˈspüf

: to make good-natured fun of

spoof noun