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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of hoax
Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2026
Over a recent five-year span, 4% of Amber Alerts nationwide were determined to be hoaxes, where people intentionally misled law enforcement.
—Andrea Lucia, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
The Hill, 25 July 2025
The Jussie Smollett hoax hate crime attack saga is set to be explored in a new documentary.
—Peter White, Deadline, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoax
Noun
The acquisition came after Jones was found guilty multiple times of defaming the families of the children killed in the Sandy Hook shooting, after repeatedly describing the massacre as a hoax.
—Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2026
Over a recent five-year span, 4% of Amber Alerts nationwide were determined to be hoaxes, where people intentionally misled law enforcement.
—Andrea Lucia, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
Robby Soave delivers radar on Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard suggesting that President Obama’s administration orchestrated Russiagate collusion hoax in 2016.
—The Hill, 25 July 2025
The Jussie Smollett hoax hate crime attack saga is set to be explored in a new documentary.
—Peter White, Deadline, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoax
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoax
Noun
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Unprosecuted crimes against the public — such as the widespread sale of 78-cent postage stamps for 19 cents to 59 cents, rolls of 100, counterfeits all, for years online.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
Its expert team enforces strict production rules, promotes the brand globally, fights counterfeits and certifies every wheel.—
Antonia Mortensen,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Anchoring, scarcity and choice architecture aren’t about tricking people.—
David Meade,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
-
The church hosts sure love tricking us into eating raw broccoli by serving it up in this creamy pasta salad.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Some of the most damaging fakes get through because nobody on the defense side knew to challenge them.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
-
Once word got out about the reports in Ohio, so did the obvious fakes.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Don’t be fooled into thinking napkin rings aren’t noticed.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
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But this case shows how quickly a 401(k) can become a target when someone has enough personal information to fool a call center or reset account access.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
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The three-piece set includes two 20x26-inch matching pillow shams.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 May 2026
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Then snap up this pretty seersucker comforter set that includes two pillow shams and sheets (and comes in 30 colors) for just $37.—
Madeline Merinuk,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
Verb
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He was also accused of deceiving escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condominium deposits and then misappropriated those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
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For Arjun Singri, founder of Scamless, this has created a new kind of digital arms race, where the same technology driving progress is also being used to deceive people at scale.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Shortly after Green arrived in a BMW, authorities arrested and charged him with forgery and larceny.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
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The latest movie, Hannah, a baker turned amateur detective investigates the murder of a key witness in a high-profile forgery case, and the disappearance of the lead prosecutor in the case.—
Lori A Bashian , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
The men who flocked to spring training sites were called scabs, cast as anti-union phonies.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Many of the top comments underneath a Rumble video teasing Bongino’s comeback painted him as a phony, as did some of the comments that viewers left under Monday’s show.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hoax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoax. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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