1
as in cheat
a dishonest person who uses clever means to cheat others out of something of value
if it sounds too good to be true, you're probably dealing with a hoaxer in a boiler room somewhere
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in fraud
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
his college roommate turned out be a complete hoaxer and not the son of a wealthy shipping tycoon he said he was
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hoaxer
Officials have received multiple letters claiming to be ransom notes—and seem to have spent much of their time attempting to discern which, if any, might be authentic, and which might be the work of hoaxers.
—
Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoaxer
Noun
-
Productivity is the cheat code for a more prosperous society.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
-
An oversized Oxford shirt is a rich-looking cheat code for the ages.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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One Minnesota federal prosecutor last summer estimated that the total fraud across several programs could exceed $9 billion.—
STEVE KARNOWSKI THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
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In Minneapolis, Minnesota, a home healthcare agency named Twin Cities Care Services received $116,000 in reimbursements over just two months in 2024, even though the business was busted eight years earlier for Medicaid fraud.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Almost all other passengers dine at the Britannia Restaurant, and there’s also a buffet restaurant serving international cuisine, with options for vegans, vegetarians and dairy dodgers.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Jan. 2026
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But my collection intentionally ignored the fraudulent exploits of billionaire heirs, tax dodgers and corporate magnates — defense contracts, government lobbying, bank accounts in Switzerland, shell companies in Panama, citizenship of Antigua and political asylum in London.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The letter to Hull in which Pender allegedly confessed to committing the murders was later deemed a fake, with Hull himself admitting that his cellmate wrote it.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Feb. 2026
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Founder Sherille Riley, who previously worked as a facialist for high-end brands like La Prairie and Crème de la Mer, had until recently struggled to shop for K-beauty in person and initially bought the products online – only to run the risk of long shipping times or unknowingly buying a fake.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The annual fledging of seabirds on Hawaii’s French Frigate Shoals attracts tiger sharks, whose presence forces out gray reef and Galapagos sharks.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
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For theme parks, after all, can jump the shark, so to speak.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Pair with matching shams for a complete bedscape.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
23 Feb. 2026
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When one of their victims realized the sham and sought legitimate legal counsel, the defendants sent him messages threatening deportation, court documents show.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The New York Times later reported that Bankman-Fried was placed in solitary confinement because the crypto swindler violated the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ rules.—
Andrew Zucker,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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But the fake ads include the swindler’s contact information instead of the real landlord’s.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The film tells the true and twisted tale of a deceiver of land and folk, who, defying her birth as a woman, comported herself as a man and committed many a wicked deed.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
20 Jan. 2026
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Islamic eschatology warned of a deceiver who distorts perception, blurring reality.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hoaxer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoaxer. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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