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
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
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
The wave of threats that canceled classes and put multiple historically Black colleges and universities on lockdown are believed to be hoaxes, federal officials said.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Treating it with the full weight of law enforcement from local patrol officers to the FBI working across borders is the only way to prevent one of these hoaxes from ending in tragedy.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
In almost all the cases, police and administrators said the reports were hoaxes or swatting calls, which is when someone uses temporary cellphone numbers and voice-cloaking apps to create havoc.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025
Noun
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
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
The wave of threats that canceled classes and put multiple historically Black colleges and universities on lockdown are believed to be hoaxes, federal officials said.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Treating it with the full weight of law enforcement from local patrol officers to the FBI working across borders is the only way to prevent one of these hoaxes from ending in tragedy.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
In almost all the cases, police and administrators said the reports were hoaxes or swatting calls, which is when someone uses temporary cellphone numbers and voice-cloaking apps to create havoc.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoaxes
Noun
-
While fake goods have exchanged hands in informal markets since ancient times, the growth of online marketplaces has contributed to the rise in counterfeits because of how easy online shopping and selling have become.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,Paige Tortorelli,
CNBC,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Marq Vision was cofounded in 2020 by Mark Lee, a former McKinsey consultant who holds a Doctor of Law from Harvard, to identify counterfeits in online listings using AI.—
Zinnia Lee,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Adding mulch too early when temperatures are still warm traps heat and tricks plant roots to remain active and produce new growth that can be damaged by cold temperatures.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Seeing empty floor tricks the brain into thinking there is more space than there is.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The collection included reproductions of uniforms worn by each profession and Johnson’s modernized interpretations, enhanced with waterproofing, durability and thermal regulation.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
20 Oct. 2025
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While genuine antiques from the Ming dynasty can fetch millions at auction, many later reproductions and export pieces from the 18th to 20th centuries still carry significant value.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Using such authentication increases trust in genuine images, and undermines fakes.—
Nikita Ostrovsky,
Time,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Farid warned that the growing prevalence of AI fakes in politics could have a corrosive effect.—
NPR,
NPR,
18 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
-
Most successful forgers were smart and creative people, and many of their forgeries were consummate, even ingenious.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The letters, provided by Lex Cusack, had turned out to be forgeries, and Hersh was criticized for having had anything to do with them.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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While those films were burned, what the West never knew was that those were not the only copies of these films as Hesse had stored the vast majority of the originals safely in London, away from the political upheaval.—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
20 Oct. 2025
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Vintage copies of our iconic Red Plaid Cookbook lined shelves at the café, giving patrons a glimpse into BHG’s century-old history.—
Halee Miller Van Ryswyk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hoaxes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoaxes. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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