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
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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
James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Frauds, swindles, cons, scams, and deceptions — collectively known as hoaxes.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 1 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
This isn’t the first time this hoax has gone viral on X, with one user sharing footage that appeared to show a Christ statue being installed in front of the White House on February 15.
—James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Frauds, swindles, cons, scams, and deceptions — collectively known as hoaxes.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 1 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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The crime drama follows 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.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
25 Sep. 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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They are also known to trick miners into quarrying worthless ore, following veins of what appears to be copper or silver, but when smelted, is found to be without value or, worse, poisonous.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Mykal-Michelle Harris from Raven’s Home guest-stars as Ruby, a mischievous moon imp who tricks Vee.—
Allison McClain Merrill,
Parents,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Numerous fakes — most bearing watermarks for OpenAI’s text-to-video model Sora — have appeared online showing fake scenarios like severe flooding, images of sharks and people partying.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
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And while those in the field have warned of the risks for years, today’s fakes are growing both more difficult to distinguish from reality and easier to make.—
Brady Africk,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As Rolling Stone has previously reported, bogus images of classic rockers in hospitals or singing at the graves of other rockers have flooded the internet — fooling some fans in the process and provoking laughs in just as many.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
21 Oct. 2025
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Ultimately, the quarterback fooled the Raiders and proceeded to take the snap and get the Chiefs a first down.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Included in the set are shams for your pillows and a duvet.—
Christopher Murray
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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The set includes two shams and is available in eight pattern choices.—
Sheri Kaz,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In fact, the term itself was an epithet throughout the founding era, a way to describe ignorant and easily deceived popular majorities, perpetually vulnerable to demagogues.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
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Of course someone like Denji would fall for it, and in a way, the desire to be deceived is actually an important aspect of romantic feelings.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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One accomplice in the scheme was a 74-year-old man from Rhineland-Palatinate who produced counterfeit expert reports attesting to the authenticity of the forgeries, investigators say.—
NPR,
NPR,
26 Oct. 2025
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The forgery charges are felonies, and the election charge is a misdemeanor.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
23 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 28 Oct. 2025.
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