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
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hoax
Tovia Smith, NPR, 6 June 2025
Authorities determined the carjacking was nothing more than a hoax with a goal of quick cash by way of insurance fraud, sheriff officials said.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2025
Mimansa Verma, Quartz, 30 Mar. 2023
Related:Teen jailed after bomb threat hoax AirDropped to American Airlines passengers in El Paso The passenger was traveling with a companion and both were unharmed, though their clothes were soiled with food and wine.
—Dallas News, 2 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for hoax
Noun
Jones declared bankruptcy after the Sandy Hook families won $1.3 billion in two defamation suits in Connecticut and Texas after Jones spread bogus conspiracy theories that the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., was a hoax.
—Tovia Smith, NPR, 6 June 2025
Authorities determined the carjacking was nothing more than a hoax with a goal of quick cash by way of insurance fraud, sheriff officials said.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2025
Verb
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
Related:Teen jailed after bomb threat hoax AirDropped to American Airlines passengers in El Paso The passenger was traveling with a companion and both were unharmed, though their clothes were soiled with food and wine.
—Dallas News, 2 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for hoax
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoax
Noun
-
The department said that U.S. consumers spend more than $100 billion every year on knock off goods, falling victim to approximately 20% of the counterfeits that are illegally sold worldwide.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
8 May 2025
-
This innovation protects consumers against counterfeits and provides essential guarantees in the resale market, ensuring that the products retain their value.—
Esade Business & Law School,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
That was the crux of the latest Gmail attack, tricking users into sharing codes.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
-
But in its most simple explanation, the Chiefs trick people.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
21 June 2025
Noun
-
And not just shooting the shot, but using it to create space for my teammates or using a shot fake to create a different shot for myself or a drive to kick.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
28 June 2025
-
But a closer inspection revealed some telltale signs that the document, first obtained by the Tribune through a public records request, is likely a fake.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
Even though baby clothes and newborn diapers feel too tiny to wreak havoc, don’t be fooled!—
Briana Feigon,
Architectural Digest,
19 June 2025
-
Perhaps that’s what fans were griping about last year — that Burns didn’t have it anymore and Slavin was papering over all those issues, enough to fool this model.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
Official results of the election handed Lukashenko his sixth term in office but were denounced by the opposition and the West as a sham.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 June 2025
-
Another sign that this search was viewed as a sham was that the most impressive outside candidate was the city manager of Norcross, Ga., an Atlanta suburb of 18,000 residents.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
21 June 2025
Verb
-
The person is not trying to deceive or control, but the behavior still affects others and requires self awareness and growth to correct.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
27 June 2025
-
Where was this sense of urgency when the mullahs were attempting to deceive U.N. inspectors while sandbagging U.S. efforts to diplomatically scuttle the country’s nuclear efforts?—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
21 June 2025
Noun
-
Wraps were—in marketing, if not always in reality—lower-calorie and lower-carb than normal sandwiches, all that pillowy, delicious bread having been replaced with a utilitarian tortilla forgery that tasted and looked virtuous, especially when it was flecked with spinach or tomato.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
25 June 2025
-
Toni Heath Johnson has various felony convictions dating back to the 1980s, including forgery, credit card theft and bigamy.—
Zach Schonfeld,
The Hill,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
The movie lacks a lot of Shepherd’s biting sarcasm and cynicism, because this book does pine for the good old days while also pointing out how adults then, and now, are a bunch of phonies.—
Brian Boone,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
-
For a Gen X-er raised on movies that skewered phonies and wannabes, the thought of being a poser was, in the end, far more offensive to his sensibilities than being potentially bland.—
Rachel Syme,
The New Yorker,
23 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Hoax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoax. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share