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
Michael Chertoff, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2026
Adams can no longer practice medicine in Putnam County or anywhere in Tennessee, according to state records made public in January that reveal his elaborate hoax.
—Beth Warren, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Mar. 2026
The Hill, 25 July 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
Noun
From online hoaxes about wildfires in Los Angeles and Hawaii to Russian and extremist propaganda during Hurricane Helene, information manipulation is warping responses to climate change and extreme weather.
—Michael Chertoff, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2026
Adams can no longer practice medicine in Putnam County or anywhere in Tennessee, according to state records made public in January that reveal his elaborate hoax.
—Beth Warren, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
Robby Soave delivers radar on Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard suggesting that President Obama’s administration orchestrated Russiagate collusion hoax in 2016.
—The Hill, 25 July 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
Noun
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Superfakes is about a small-time Chinatown luxury counterfeit dealer who enters a dangerous black-market underworld in order to fund a life of suburban respectability for her family.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2026
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By 2009, Nakamoto took Bitcoin from theory to reality, mining the Genesis Block, and then, once the rules were set, protections against counterfeits were secured, and Bitcoin began to circulate—still worth next to nothing—Nakamoto vanished.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Scammers are at it again, texting Americans, hoping to trick them into giving up financial information under the guise of paying parking or toll fees, officials in multiple states have said this month.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
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From around January to June 2022, the couple tricked unknowing subordinates into adding fake vendors to the company's system, officials said.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Nembhard had to toss the ball out to Pascal Siakam after failing to get Wembanyama to jump on two fakes under the rim.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2026
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Fernandes had been aware of the spread of the digital fakes for years.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But don’t let that demure and goofy personality fool you!—
Heide Janssen,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
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Tatum then isolated against the Spurs big man, fooled him with an up-fake, finished at the rim and smiled after being shoved to the ground.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Bedsure Best Seller GentleSoft Pintuck Pinch Pleat For a one-and-done bedding upgrade, consider this set that includes sheets, a comforter, pillowcases, and shams, all for just $45.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Mar. 2026
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The results may look deceptively simple—bed sheets, pillow shams, the occasional coverlet—but engrained in those thread counts are hundreds of years spent honing techniques and generations of families honoring lofty traditions.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nope, that's not your eyes deceiving you.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
15 Mar. 2026
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Months after the girl had died, a DCF worker investigating a complaint related to Torres-García’s younger sister was deceived by the children’s mother during a video chat with a person the child’s mother asked to impersonate the child, according to the agency.—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Investigators say 58-year-old Deborah Callaway is now facing two counts of elder exploitation, two counts of elder trafficking, financial transaction card fraud, theft by taking, and third-degree forgery.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
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The forgery charges are felonies and the elector charge is a misdemeanor.—
Jessica Seaman,
Denver Post,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The men who flocked to spring training sites were called scabs, cast as anti-union phonies.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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Many of the top comments underneath a Rumble video teasing Bongino’s comeback painted him as a phony, as did some of the comments that viewers left under Monday’s show.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hoax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoax. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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