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
Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
Jones has falsely claimed the 2012 elementary school shooting, in which 20 students and six adults were killed, was a hoax.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 20 Apr. 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
Prime Video has revealed its Emmy strategy for the second season of the reality hoax series exclusively to Variety, submitting across 19 categories.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
Jones has falsely claimed the 2012 elementary school shooting, in which 20 students and six adults were killed, was a hoax.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 20 Apr. 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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Unprosecuted crimes against the public — such as the widespread sale of 78-cent postage stamps for 19 cents to 59 cents, rolls of 100, counterfeits all, for years online.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
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Its expert team enforces strict production rules, promotes the brand globally, fights counterfeits and certifies every wheel.—
Antonia Mortensen,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Verb
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This method involves tricking an employee or person with elevated access into giving up their password.—
Marybel Rodriguez,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
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In a way, deadheading is used to trick plants into blooming again and again.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
Noun
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Once word got out about the reports in Ohio, so did the obvious fakes.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
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McKenna is extremely shifty with the puck, blending shoulder fakes into his playmaking.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Give Plants Enough Space Don’t be fooled by the size of the seedling at planting time.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 May 2026
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Other investigations showed Darsee had fooled co-authors of many papers that dated back to his college days at Notre Dame.—
Lawrence K. Altman,
STAT,
7 May 2026
Noun
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Contested election Earlier this year, Myanmar completed its third and final round of voting in a general election, a process which has been widely called a sham by international observers.—
Lorcan Lovett,
NPR,
3 May 2026
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Use the matching shams with the same color as the quilt facing out for a cohesive design, or mix and match the shams and quilt for a layered look with dimension.—
Caley Sturgill,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The complaint also claims that the image deceives customers into thinking Lipa has endorsed the product and dilutes her brand identity.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
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Berger also warned against attempts by Israelis to deceive foreign agents, stressing that any contact is a serious offense.—
Amelie Botbol,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Ultimately, the team’s work resulted in uncovering documentary evidence of more than 1,000 incidents of ghost voting, forgery and other forms of vote fraud.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
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Kim’s defense reportedly argued that the Lee Ufan work was actually a forgery worth less than 1 million won (about $680), an argument that, if accepted, would have undercut the prosecutor’s claims that the gift violated anti-graft laws governing high-value items.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
8 May 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 12 May. 2026.
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