hoax 1 of 2

noun

Definition of hoaxnext
as in counterfeit
an imitation that is passed off as genuine the skeleton of the purported ancient hominid turned out to be a hoax

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hoax

2 of 2

verb

ˈhōks How to pronounce hoax (audio)
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

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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
Noun
Without telling the rest of his staff about the hoax, Pissenem sent the clip to the island’s tourism accounts. — Max Marshall, Vanity Fair, 15 July 2026 Even American players wondered if the news was an AI hoax, initially. — Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 6 July 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 See All Example Sentences for hoax
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoax
  1. counterfeit
  2. trick
  3. fake
  4. fool
  5. sham
  6. deceive
  7. forgery
  8. phony
Noun
  • The distinction between authentic and counterfeit is becoming increasingly difficult to discern.
    — Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • The European Commission previously said AliExpress breached its obligations under the DSA, which required it to diligently assess and mitigate the risks of counterfeits.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 22 July 2026
Definition of counterfeit
Verb
  • Giovannoni showed that the free, open-source tool successfully tricked scammers into giving away their own private personal information, such as phone numbers, addresses, and even bank account details.
    — Kim Key, PC Magazine, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Hackers have learned to exploit the public's anxiety about cybersecurity failures to trick people into revealing personal data.
    — Evan Zimmer, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of trick
Noun
  • Trump’s improbable rise to political dominance, which polls failed to register in the lead-up to the 2016 election, is a clear testament to that reality, and now Michigan has shown how similar head fakes can occur on the left.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The employee framed by a fake inherits the job of proving a negative.
    — Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of fake
Verb
  • Do not be fooled by icing that maybe has a little bit of cream cheese in it.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • At the Black Hat security conference, one researcher demonstrated a way to fool current facial recognition models with a little help from the fashion world.
    — Kim Key, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of fool
Noun
  • Critics dismissed the elections, which were held in December and January, as a sham designed to consolidate the military’s grip on power while ostensibly restoring civilian rule.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Linen bedding can get costly fast, but this quilt set comes in at under $200—and includes matching shams.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of sham
Verb
  • Such a lease, however, would disqualify a hospice from obtaining a license, and a provider would need to intentionally deceive inspectors to disguise a day office, experts said.
    — Jason Henry, Daily News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Someone who has maintained an entire second family has demonstrated a willingness to deceive you over an extended period of time.
    — Jann Blackstone, Boston Herald, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of deceive
Noun
  • This practice went undetected by OpenAI engineers through May 26, when an agent discovered a way to use Artifactory to cache live websites and capture their information via a server-side request forgery (SSRF) exploit.
    — Justyn Newman, PC Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026
  • According to the state report, the top three crimes committed in Saratoga in 2025 were residential burglaries, grand theft and ID theft, forgery and fraud.
    — Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of forgery
Noun
  • Just as Moby-Dick is canonically about whales, Catcher is canonically about phonies.
    — Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
  • Even today, students can tell you that the biggest phony in the book is Holden himself.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of phony

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hoary
hoax
hoaxed
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Cite this Entry

“Hoax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoax. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of hoax for Spanish Speakers

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