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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
Falsehoods circulate claiming that the virus is a hoax, that health workers are profiting from the outbreak, or that hospitals are withholding lifesaving treatments. — Prosper Heri Ngorora, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 Rumors claim that the virus is a hoax, that health workers are profiting from the outbreak or that hospitals are withholding lifesaving treatments. — ABC News, 7 Aug. 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
  • An English springer spaniel in Alabama loves nothing more than spending her whole day in the pool and has taken to tricking her parents into letting her into the pool every day.
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Hang a paper nest to trick hornets into thinking a colony has already claimed the space.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of trick
Noun
  • Cousins wasn’t mobile enough to execute play fakes in 2024, and Penix wasn’t comfortable turning his back to do the defense.
    — Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Many of these fakes do not meet American manufacturing and product safety standards, per the CPSC.
    — Parents, Parents, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of fake
Verb
  • The second season of The Paper is a sitcom trying to fool itself.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In July, OpenAI said its models were responsible for a cyber incident on another company, while Anthropic’s Claude models were also responsible for cybersecurity incidents, including in one case where Mythos created fake identities to fool humans.
    — Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of fool
Noun
  • The five-piece set includes a plush comforter, throw blanket, shams, and a decorative pillow for calming cohesion, and comes in rich neutrals like creamy beige, midnight blue, and toasty brown.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Aug. 2026
  • But investigators now say his story was a sham and that behind closed doors, the assistant fire chief was allegedly living a double life.
    — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of sham
Verb
  • The rapidly evolving technology has become a source of controversy after a series of hacks in recent months that showed AI agents can conspire to deceive humans.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The public deserves to know which of his points were defensible and which were deceiving.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of deceive
Noun
  • Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining 10 counts, which included additional allegations of forgery, perjury, identity theft, theft by extortion and evidence tampering.
    — Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Brittany Hudson, 40, was convicted of 30 felony charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering and forgery of the signature of a federal judge.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of forgery
Noun
  • In 2024, for example, one phony GoFundMe page was later shut down after collecting more than $15,000 in light of a late Saturday afternoon shooting that left nine people injured at a Rochester Hills splash pad.
    — Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Haley did her a favor by being brutally honest instead of lying and being a phony.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of phony

Browse Nearby Words

hoary
hoax
hoaxed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hoax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoax. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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