spoof

1 of 3

verb

ˈspüf 

spoofed; spoofing; spoofs

transitive verb

1

: deceive, hoax

2

: to make good-natured fun of

spoof

2 of 3

noun (1)

1

: hoax, deception

2

: a light humorous parody

spoofery

ˈspü-f(ə-)rē 

noun

spoofy

ˈspü-fē 

adjective

spoofery

3 of 3

noun (2)

spoof·​ery -fərē 

plural -es

1

: deceit

2

a

: good-natured ridicule : kidding, ribbing

British spoofery that is sometimes so gentle that the humor is almost inaudible

—New Yorker

a compendium of spoofery including cartoons, verse, and prose

b

: an instance of good-natured ridicule : spoof sense 2

the ballet … bringing this spoofery of a house party to a realization less anachronistic than a literal reproduction

—Irving Kolodin

Synonyms of spoof

Verb

• parody
• mock
• imitate

Noun (1)

• 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 (1)

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Its shadow fleets spoof their identities and sell most of their oil to China. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 July 2026

Authorities say the suspects will spoof phone numbers so that caller ID systems indicate the call is from Suffolk Police, or the IRS. — Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 13 July 2026

Noun

Incode’s deepfake detection tool, Deepsight, distinguishes between real humans and a digital spoof in real-time. — Nia Bowers, USA Today, 16 July 2026

The lithe Pettet then sparkled as Mata Bond, the product of a love affair between Niven’s 007 and the spy Mata Hari, in the Bond spoof Casino Royale (1967). — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2026

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 (1)

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