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
Dan Raby, CBS News, 18 May 2026
The case of Sherri Papini, the young woman who shocked the nation with a multi-year kidnapping hoax, has been the subject of multiple documentaries since her conviction in 2022.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 15 May 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
All of the threats, including the one at Zoo Atlanta, turned out to be hoaxes.
—Dan Raby, CBS News, 18 May 2026
The case of Sherri Papini, the young woman who shocked the nation with a multi-year kidnapping hoax, has been the subject of multiple documentaries since her conviction in 2022.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 15 May 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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While Matthew and Mu-won started Gojeuneok Bio together, Chang-ho has launched a cosmetics company that makes its money by tricking smaller companies into giving away the secrets behind their products.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
29 May 2026
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Scammers have found ways to steal codes, trick people into sharing them or take control of a phone number through a SIM swap scam.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
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With deepfake attacks only showing signs of increasing, organizations must accept that no automated or human detection system is foolproof, and that resilience requires shifting focus from spotting the fake to slowing and containing the abuse of trust.—
Steve Piper,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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Brooks Peck put together a guide to the art of spotting a fake.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Verb
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Don't be fooled in thinking this spiked tea came from New York—this fan-favorite version hails from Tennessee.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
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So don’t be fooled by temporary price drops that come with endless statements about deals being made.—
Matt Randolph,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2026
Noun
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The controversial $500,000 portion of PFAS money allocation scheme is a sham and undermines the public trust (Tamarac finds a $500,000 slush fund, editorial, May 21).—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
28 May 2026
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This quilt and shams set is reversible, lightweight, high-quality, and breathable.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said during a news conference that the company suppressed internal safety warnings and deceived users about the true nature and dangers of the product.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
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Yet while Hiller has been seemingly everywhere on TV lately, appearances in this industry can be deceiving.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 2026
Noun
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The campaign says entire batches of signatures collected by Bronske were rejected after three towns contacted the Secretary of State’s Office with concerns of forgery.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
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Southlake police stopped an in-progress forgery at a bank after staff notified them about suspicious activity, officials said in a Facebook post.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 May 2026
Noun
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At Dodger Stadium at the end of April, Crow-Amstrong also had to deal with the consequences of his actions — ripping Los Angeles Dodgers fans for being phonies in a Chicago magazine article that went viral.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
22 May 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 7 Jun. 2026.
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