Synonyms of hoax

hoax 1 of 2

noun

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

• counterfeit
• fake
• sham
• forgery
• phony
• copy
• reproduction
• replica
• spoof
• synthetic
• humbug
• bastard
• copycat
• swindle
• knockoff
• simulation
• fraud
• imposture
• facsimile
• dummy
• gaff
• mock-up
• shoddy
• duffer
• brummagem

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• original

hoax

2 of 2

verb

ˈhōks 

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

• trick
• fool
• deceive
• spoof
• mislead
• dupe
• humbug
• tease
• kid
• sucker
• delude
• con
• misinform
• bluff
• gull
• gaff
• suck in
• snow
• cheat
• hoodwink
• bamboozle
• sting
• misguide
• string along
• buffalo
• hornswoggle
• fake out
• burn
• have on
• juggle
• cozen
• gammon
• beguile
• catch
• take in
• snooker
• do a number on
• lead one down the garden path
• have
• swindle
• pull one's leg
• pull the wool over one's eyes
• defraud
• put on
• stick
• flimflam
• fleece
• shortchange
• skin
• hustle
• bleed
• euchre
• rook
• mulct
• diddle
• chisel
• squeeze

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• undeceive
• reveal
• debunk
• expose
• show up
• unmask
• uncover
• tell
• disclose
• divulge
• unveil
• uncloak
• disillusion
• disabuse
• disenchant

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hoax

Noun

There is some speculation that the coup was a hoax, however, as Roy Bates was later represented in court by one of Sealand’s Dutch occupiers. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026

Another of WKNA‘s articles even uses a screenshot that was first posted to r/poisonai that shows Google’s AI Overview correctly asserting that reports of Vance’s death are a hoax. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 25 June 2026

Verb

In February, a California teenager pleaded guilty to hoax shooting and bomb threats against schools and other institutions and was sentenced to four years in federal prison on four counts of making interstate threats. — Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 28 Aug. 2025

The Jussie Smollett hoax hate crime attack saga is set to be explored in a new documentary. — Peter White, Deadline, 22 July 2025