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 of spoof

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

Jamming and spoofing also slowed marine traffic moving through the Strait of Hormuz, a congested shipping lane that handles roughly 20% of the world’s oil and gas exports and where precise navigation is essential, Windward’s data showed. —Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026

There has been widespread GNSS spoofing and AIS manipulation, where tankers are digitally hijacked and tricked into displaying false coordinates that lead them into restricted territorial waters for seizure. —Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026

Noun

Sandgaard hung a large banner on the fourth floor, a spoof of a popular George Washington meme in which the Zynex founder is holding a machine gun in one hand, a bald eagle perched on his other arm. —Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2026

This week's season 18 edition (which was filmed in 2025) featured the queens preparing to star in Fannie, a Rusical spoof of the classic Annie stage production. —Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Feb. 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

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