hoax
1 of 2verb
ˈhōks 
hoaxed; hoaxing; hoaxes
transitive verb
: to trick into believing or accepting as genuine something false and often preposterous
were hoaxed by the website
hoaxer noun
hoax
2 of 2noun
1
: an act intended to trick or dupe : imposture
the victim of a cruel hoax
assumed the bomb threat was just a hoax
2
: something accepted or established by fraud or fabrication
believes the Loch Ness Monster is a hoax
a literary hoax
Synonyms
Verb
- bamboozle
- beguile
- bluff
- buffalo
- burn
- catch
- con
- cozen
- deceive
- delude
- dupe
- fake out
- fool
- gaff
- gammon
- gull
- have
- have on [chiefly British]
- hoodwink
- hornswoggle
- humbug
- juggle
- misguide
- misinform
- mislead
- snooker
- snow
- spoof
- string along
- suck in
- sucker
- take in
- trick
Noun
- counterfeit
- fake
- forgery
- humbug
- phony
- phoney
- sham
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb a skilled forger who hoaxed the art world into believing that the paintings were long-lost Vermeers Noun The bomb threat is probably a hoax, but we should still evacuate the building. She was the victim of a cruel hoax.
Recent Examples on the Web
Terry Spencer, sun-sentinel.com, 19 Aug. 2020 After trying to hoax journalists with Project Veritas, Loomer moved to direct confrontations with public figures in recent years, disrupting interviews and news conferences. Terry Spencer, orlandosentinel.com, 19 Aug. 2020 False news articles were deliberately spread across our feeds to hoax us. Joanna Stern, WSJ, 8 Nov. 2018 The effort, dubbed #ThinkBeforeYouPost, reminds would-be pranksters that hoax threats are not a joke and could result in federal or state charges. Karen Kucher, sandiegouniontribune.com, 10 June 2018 John Spink, ajc, 13 Sep. 2022 Jones faces several accusations related to his false claims that the shooting was a hoax, including of defamation in Texas and Connecticut. Daniella Silva, NBC News, 26 Aug. 2022 Jones has falsely claimed that the nation’s deadliest school shooting – which killed 20 students and six educators – was a hoax. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2022 Jones has falsely claimed that the nation's deadliest school shooting — which killed 20 students and six educators — was a hoax. CBS News, 16 Aug. 2022 But none of us imagined someone would repeatedly claim the tragedy was a hoax, staged by actors as part of a government plot to confiscate Americans’ firearms. Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Aug. 2022 Jones' attorneys plan to appeal and try to lower the price tag a Texas jury put on his false claim that the nation’s deadliest school shooting — which killed 20 students and six teachers — was a hoax. Jake Bleiberg, Chron, 11 Aug. 2022 Jones’ attorneys plan to appeal and try to lower the price tag a Texas jury put on his false claim that the nation’s deadliest school shooting — which killed 20 students and six teachers — was a hoax. Jake Bleiberg, Chicago Tribune, 10 Aug. 2022 Authorities learned the bomb threat was a hoax and investigated the arsenal of weapons. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 9 Aug. 2022 See More
Verb
After trying to hoax journalists with Project Veritas, Loomer moved to direct confrontations with public figures in recent years, disrupting interviews and news conferences. Terry Spencer, sun-sentinel.com, 19 Aug. 2020 After trying to hoax journalists with Project Veritas, Loomer moved to direct confrontations with public figures in recent years, disrupting interviews and news conferences. Terry Spencer, orlandosentinel.com, 19 Aug. 2020 False news articles were deliberately spread across our feeds to hoax us. Joanna Stern, WSJ, 8 Nov. 2018 The effort, dubbed #ThinkBeforeYouPost, reminds would-be pranksters that hoax threats are not a joke and could result in federal or state charges. Karen Kucher, sandiegouniontribune.com, 10 June 2018 Noun
Elsewhere Tuesday morning, there was an enhanced police presence in the area of Kendrick Middle School in Clayton after a 911 call was made reporting a shooting that turned out to be a hoax. John Spink, ajc, 13 Sep. 2022 Jones faces several accusations related to his false claims that the shooting was a hoax, including of defamation in Texas and Connecticut. Daniella Silva, NBC News, 26 Aug. 2022 Jones has falsely claimed that the nation’s deadliest school shooting – which killed 20 students and six educators – was a hoax. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2022 Jones has falsely claimed that the nation's deadliest school shooting — which killed 20 students and six educators — was a hoax. CBS News, 16 Aug. 2022 But none of us imagined someone would repeatedly claim the tragedy was a hoax, staged by actors as part of a government plot to confiscate Americans’ firearms. Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Aug. 2022 Jones' attorneys plan to appeal and try to lower the price tag a Texas jury put on his false claim that the nation’s deadliest school shooting — which killed 20 students and six teachers — was a hoax. Jake Bleiberg, Chron, 11 Aug. 2022 Jones’ attorneys plan to appeal and try to lower the price tag a Texas jury put on his false claim that the nation’s deadliest school shooting — which killed 20 students and six teachers — was a hoax. Jake Bleiberg, Chicago Tribune, 10 Aug. 2022 Authorities learned the bomb threat was a hoax and investigated the arsenal of weapons. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 9 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb and Noun
probably contraction of hocus
First Known Use
Verb
circa 1796, in the meaning defined above
Noun
1808, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
hoax 1 of 2
verb
ˈhōks
hoaxed; hoaxing
: to trick into thinking something is true or real when it isn't
hoax
2 of 2noun
1
: an act meant to fool or deceive
2
: something false passed off as real
hoaxers
noun
1
as in cheats
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
Relevance
- cheats
- dodgers
- sharks
- scammers
- fraudsters
- phonies
- swindlers
- tricksters
- cheaters
- defrauders
- chiselers
- skinners
- scamsters
- sharpers
- sharpies
- fakirs
- bilks
- cozeners
- trickers
- ringers
- adventurers
- fox
- chisellers
- foxes
- confidence men
- fakers
- charlatans
- fakes
- impostors
- bilkers
- finaglers
- quacks
- pretenders
- pranksters
- imposters
- mountebanks
- phoneys
- humbugs
- shams
- sneakers
- schemers
- knaves
- rogues
- plotters
- rascals
- gamesmen
- double-crossers
- bluffers
- sneaks
- slicksters
- double-dealers
- quacksalvers
- slyboots
- cardsharps
- wheeler-dealers
- blacklegs
- cardsharpers
- slickers
- slicks
- fast-talkers
- smoothies
2
as in frauds
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
- frauds
- fakes
- fakers
- charlatans
- deceivers
- pretenders
- impostors
- shams
- quacks
- misleaders
- imposters
- phonies
- phoneys
- mountebanks
- actors
- humbugs
- operators
- counterfeiters
- fakirs
- quacksalvers
- ringers
- copycats
- tricksters
- dissemblers
- scammers
- impersonators
- imitators
- fraudsters
- swindlers
- poseurs
- skinners
- defrauders
- scamsters
- mimics
- bluffers
- dodgers
- sharpers
- duper
- cozeners
- sharpies
- feigners
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- experts
- professionals
- authorities
- masters
- adepts
- virtuosos
- virtuosi
- wizards
- maestros
- past masters
- aces
- whizzes
- maestri
- crackajacks
- crackerjacks