HOAXES Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

hoaxes 1 of 2

noun

plural of hoax

as in counterfeits

an imitation that is passed off as genuine the skeleton of the purported ancient hominid turned out to be a hoax

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originals

hoaxes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of hoax

as in tricks

to cause to believe what is untrue a skilled forger who hoaxed the art world into believing that the paintings were long-lost Vermeers

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hoaxes

Noun

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says those threats were likely swatting hoaxes. — Wcco Staff, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 Certain corners of the web promote hoaxes and hate speech and reputational sabotage. — David Friend, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026 While Locke failed in that regard, his articles live on as one of the most famous media hoaxes. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Aug. 2026 America’s penny press transformed journalism in the 1830s, using hoaxes, sensationalism, and mass circulation to create a blueprint for modern media. — Big Think, 4 Aug. 2026 By probing his triple role as author, anthropologist and cult leader, the book asks why Americans hunger for seductive spiritual hoaxes. — Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2026 The dishonest duo got rich from their deception, but in the age of AI slop, there is a certain charm to analogue hoaxes such as these. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 18 June 2026 That is why this conversation is about far more than celebrity deepfakes or viral internet hoaxes. — Richard Fowler, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 The Pepsi-tampering mystery was unraveling today as several claims of objects found in soda cans were pronounced hoaxes. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 17 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoaxes

Noun

The European Commission previously said AliExpress breached its obligations under the DSA, which required it to diligently assess and mitigate the risks of counterfeits.

— Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 22 July 2026
Masherah also emphasized keeping Jordan with Upper Deck provides collectors a safe place to acquire authenticated Jordan autographed memorabilia when there are so many fakes and counterfeits floating around.

— Larry Holder, New York Times, 8 July 2026

Definition of counterfeits

Noun

Because the story lines are facile fakes, because the characters are blanked out, the substance of relationships is reduced to dialogue of generalities and platitudes.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
While highly sophisticated fakes can fool even seasoned shoppers, the following are the secrets our experts say to look for to spot a dupe.

— Shagun Khare, Martha Stewart, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of fakes

Noun

The booming market for South Asian art has been flooded with forgeries.

— News Desk, Artforum, 20 Aug. 2026
South Asia’s modern art market has boomed, surpassing $100 million in auction sales in 2025, but a surge in forgeries threatens its growth, the FT wrote.

— George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of forgeries

Verb

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
The fragmentary Ni 12501 tablet from the Early Dynastic III period of Mesopotamia breaks off when Fox deceives the inhabitants of the netherworld in his quest to retrieve the storm god Ishkur.

— Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025

Definition of deceives

Noun

On the editorial side, this includes the licenses for reproductions in books like exhibition catalogs, scholarly tomes, and even the covers of novels, as well as publications, for news coverage and criticism for exhibitions as well as general use.

— Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
But De Kooning would apply fragments of the reproductions to new compositions, often in different orientations.

— Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of reproductions

Noun

These genomes should reflect the full sequence of both chromosome copies and the diversity of the global population, rather than relying on one person or one ancestral group as a universal standard.

— Euan Ashley, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
When the Spider swings past a silverish-gray newsstand filled with copies of the Daily Bugle, the frame becomes black-and-white, even in the color version.

— Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of copies

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hoaxers

hoaxes

hoaxing

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“Hoaxes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoaxes. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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noun

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