as in counterfeit
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
the skeleton of the purported ancient hominid turned out to be a hoax
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to trick
to cause to believe what is untrue
a skilled forger who hoaxed the art world into believing that the paintings were long-lost Vermeers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hoax
Franco Ordoñez, NPR, 29 July 2025
Trump has dismissed concerns about his administration's handling of the situation and made claims that the conspiracy theories were a hoax.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 29 July 2025
BostonGlobe.com, 6 Apr. 2023
Advertisement How aspiring Indian entrepreneurs and students were hoaxed in the quest for funding The World Startup Convention was originally scheduled for Jan. 14-16., before it was postponed to March 24-26.
—Mimansa Verma, Quartz, 30 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for hoax
Noun
While much of the pressure for more information is coming from the president's own MAGA base, Trump continues to insist the controversy is a hoax that's been built up way beyond proportion by his political enemies.
—Franco Ordoñez, NPR, 29 July 2025
Trump has dismissed concerns about his administration's handling of the situation and made claims that the conspiracy theories were a hoax.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 29 July 2025
Verb
The White House at the time praised Jordan, one of eight House lawmakers who were part of Trump’s defense team in his first Senate impeachment trial, for his work to ‘’unmask the Russia hoax and take on Deep State corruption’' and for his efforts to ‘’confront the impeachment witch hunt.
—BostonGlobe.com, 6 Apr. 2023
Advertisement How aspiring Indian entrepreneurs and students were hoaxed in the quest for funding The World Startup Convention was originally scheduled for Jan. 14-16., before it was postponed to March 24-26.
—Mimansa Verma, Quartz, 30 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for hoax
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoax
Noun
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TikTok videos with #dupe hashtag have racked up more than 6 billion views, and shoppers can easily find counterfeits for everything from a $600 hair tool to a $40 face wash.—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Below, Kennedy shares her expert tips on how to differentiate authentic designer pieces from counterfeits when sifting through thrift stores.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The church hosts sure love tricking us into eating raw broccoli by serving it up in this creamy pasta salad.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
8 Aug. 2025
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Searching for an event, restaurant, or service online reduces the chance of being tricked by a malicious redirect or fraudulent site.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Polk broke running right to left through the end zone, and Maye spotted him after executing a play-action fake.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
28 July 2025
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The Gilded Age rarely uses artificial florals, but the outsize volume required for this scene, plus the multiday nature of the shoot, meant that a larger-than-normal percentage of the flowers were fakes.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
14 July 2025
Verb
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But don’t be fooled by the red planet’s Venusian trance.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Wild horses often nap on the sand like beachgoers — but don’t be fooled.—
Evan Moore
August 4,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Flores also contends his Texans’ interview was a sham.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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The quilt set comes with two matching shams and is 50% off in two sizes, but is selling fast.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 July 2025
Verb
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But appearances can be deceiving because there's a lot of bright side here.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
14 Aug. 2025
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Some Russian media commentators also note how Alaska was once Russian territory, sold by Tsar Alexander II to the United States for a pittance in 1867 Many observers, particularly Russian, are dismissing the meeting as a sign Trump has allowed Putin to once again deceive him.—
Patrick Reevell,
ABC News,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The nine men and one woman arrested were convicted in 2024, receiving jail time of between 13 and 17 months for offenses including money laundering, forgery, and resisting arrest.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
12 Aug. 2025
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Shannon Nicole Womack, 39, has been charged with crimes including forgery, identity theft, procurement fraud, unlawful use of a computer, theft by unlawful taking, and endangering the welfare of care, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
24 July 2025
Noun
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Liberal Ted Garcia is a slick political phony — a cartoonish whitewash of actual government authoritarians (Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Andrew Cuomo, etc.).—
Armond White,
National Review,
23 July 2025
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The second batch of players then play a comp to find the missing relic amid a sea of phonies.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hoax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoax. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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