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
Julie K Brown, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
Roundly condemned as an archaeological hoax by scholars, Inghirami undertook to publish a 1,000-page defense of his forgery.
—JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 10 June 2024
Such criticism has led some police to respond more aggressively to hoax school shooting calls.
—Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 5 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for hoax
Noun
Trump has called recent attention to the case a hoax.
—Julie K Brown, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
Roundly condemned as an archaeological hoax by scholars, Inghirami undertook to publish a 1,000-page defense of his forgery.
—JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
Doxxed addresses have led to hoax 911 calls that prompted SWAT teams to raid victims’ homes.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 10 June 2024
Such criticism has led some police to respond more aggressively to hoax school shooting calls.
—Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 5 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for hoax
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoax
Noun
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Superfakes follows a small-time Chinatown luxury counterfeit dealer who enters a dangerous black-market underworld to fund a life of suburban respectability for her family.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
27 Oct. 2025
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While fake goods have exchanged hands in informal markets since ancient times, the growth of online marketplaces has contributed to the rise in counterfeits because of how easy online shopping and selling have become.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,Paige Tortorelli,
CNBC,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Saturday Night Live‘s Weekend Update mocked Donald Trump‘s multiple White House renovations, as well his inability to be normal even while giving out candy to trick or treaters.—
William Vaillancourt,
Rolling Stone,
2 Nov. 2025
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The update to trick-or-treating time was made to avoid a conflict with high school football playoff games.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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So did a disturbing AI fake of Parton on her deathbed.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
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That became a clear problem for an identification credential that is expected to be universal in a world where fakes are commonplace.—
Elliot Mann,
Twin Cities,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The throw is crafted with acrylic, but don’t be fooled by its price; the intricate, woven yarn resembles that of chenille, with a buttery-smooth texture that feels luxuriously soft to the touch.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
4 Nov. 2025
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Anyone who predicted this Titans team to win more than four or five games was fooling themselves, and even those predictions are coming off over-optimistic.—
Nick Suss,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In return, the WNBA would argue the decertification is a sham to facilitate antitrust litigation.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
31 Oct. 2025
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For a bedding refresh, this duvet cover set is available in 26 colors and includes matching shams.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Gordon warned me that this was deceiving.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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Santos was sentenced to prison in April after admitting last year to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of 11 people — including his own family members — to make donations to his campaign.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Notably, in 2011, McGuinness, once a top official with the Oakland County Democratic Party, was charged with forgery and perjury.—
Lily Altavena,
Freep.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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At the time of his death, Hercules was facing forgery, theft, identity theft and making false information charges, according to Johnson County court documents.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Which, of course, is what happens on newspapers and that’s why all these things sound so phoney.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
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Infiniti is asked to play the put-upon daughter of a man-child father, a scared child, a phony among true believers, and eventually, a reluctant killer.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hoax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoax. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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