as in counterfeits
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
the skeleton of the purported ancient hominid turned out to be a hoax
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hoaxes
Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 18 Nov. 2025
In addition to the various homecoming shootings on HBCU campuses, several schools have fallen victim to swatting hoaxes aiming to foster confusion and chaos among the community.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
Forgeries, hoaxes, and other types of literary fakery have preoccupied Havens, a rare books and manuscripts curator at the university’s Stern Center for the History of the Book, for many years now.
—JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
Frauds, swindles, cons, scams, and deceptions — collectively known as hoaxes.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
Despite the relief of being safe, the effects of these hoaxes endure.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2025
In turn, the Koch brothers supported climate denial think tanks, while Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch’s Fox News nightly broadcasts worked overtime to convince Americans that both climate change and COVID-19 were hoaxes or that vaccines were ineffective or unsafe.
—Michael E. Mann, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
The apparent hoaxes come amid heightened concern over campus safety following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
While these hoaxes mostly ended up being false alarms, experts note that these types of hoaxes are not only a serious crime with substantial penalties for those involved but can also put first responders and bystanders at risk.
—ABC News, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
The Los Angeles Times reported that similar threats in multiple states, including Georgia, were traced to Russian domains and labeled politically disruptive hoaxes.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 18 Nov. 2025
In addition to the various homecoming shootings on HBCU campuses, several schools have fallen victim to swatting hoaxes aiming to foster confusion and chaos among the community.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
Forgeries, hoaxes, and other types of literary fakery have preoccupied Havens, a rare books and manuscripts curator at the university’s Stern Center for the History of the Book, for many years now.
—JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
Frauds, swindles, cons, scams, and deceptions — collectively known as hoaxes.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
Despite the relief of being safe, the effects of these hoaxes endure.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2025
In turn, the Koch brothers supported climate denial think tanks, while Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch’s Fox News nightly broadcasts worked overtime to convince Americans that both climate change and COVID-19 were hoaxes or that vaccines were ineffective or unsafe.
—Michael E. Mann, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
The apparent hoaxes come amid heightened concern over campus safety following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
While these hoaxes mostly ended up being false alarms, experts note that these types of hoaxes are not only a serious crime with substantial penalties for those involved but can also put first responders and bystanders at risk.
—ABC News, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoaxes
Noun
-
Do carve out a spot for the Mongkok market, with its colorful juxtaposition of souvenirs, food, fashions — beware of counterfeits, though — with live fish and even birds.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
24 Nov. 2025
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Safe handling and charging are indeed crucial, but what’s even more important is trying to keep counterfeits out of the supply chain.—
Andrew Moseman,
IEEE Spectrum,
22 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Mulching too early traps heat and tricks plant roots to remain active and produce new growth.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
-
An unexpected, shocking tax bill owed after a scammer tricks you into draining a retirement fund to hand over your money to them.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Today, the same fakes can be flagged using AI developed by a company called N2N Services, said Claudia Lee, Golden West College’s vice president of student services.—
Jaweed Kaleem,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Jan. 2026
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Morrisseau’s work, in particular, was the focus of what is believed to be the largest forgery ring of all time, in which several thousand fakes were illegitimately authenticated and sold around the world.—
Benjamin Cannon,
The Atlantic,
23 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
In other court cases, some civil and some criminal, involving a total of nearly 300 additional hectares near Vlora, Shehu and his family members are accused of grabbing property through similar forgeries.—
Lindita Cela,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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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
Verb
-
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
Noun
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Canvases by Norwegian painter Tyra Tingleff incorporated reproductions of the infamous photos of a nude Le Corbusier, brush in hand.—
Javier Montes,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
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Starting January 1, all LV boutiques worldwide will display reproductions of the original monogram patent and the historic wooden monogram stamp in their windows.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The film’s star, Whitney Houston, would deliver a version that became the world’s best-selling single that year, shifting some 25 million copies, and winning several Grammys.—
Bob Mehr,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
6 Jan. 2026
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The commentator George Weigel wrote a short book outlining the qualities conservatives wanted in the next Pope, and, in 2020, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, arranged for copies to be sent to all the cardinals who were expected to vote in the next conclave.—
Paul Elie,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hoaxes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoaxes. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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