spoof

1 of 2

verb

ˈspüf 

spoofed; spoofing; spoofs

transitive verb

1

: deceive, hoax

2

: to make good-natured fun of

spoof

2 of 2

noun

1

: hoax, deception

2

: a light humorous parody

spoofery

ˈspü-f(ə-)rē 

noun

spoofy

ˈspü-fē 

adjective

Synonyms

Verb

• burlesque
• caricature
• do
• imitate
• mimic
• mock
• parody
• send up
• travesty

Noun

• burlesque
• caricature
• parody
• put-on
• rib
• send-up
• takeoff
• travesty

Examples of spoof in a Sentence

Verb

spoofed overly competitive parents in a mockumentary about tryouts for a national T-ball team

the newspaper was spoofed by a supposedly plausible claim of a UFO encounter

Noun

many viewers thought that the spoof of a television newscast was the real thing

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Phone numbers also can be spoofed to mimic those of callers known to the target of voice cloning scams. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 17 Dec. 2024

Don’t trust caller ID, as scammers can spoof phone numbers. —Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 27 Nov. 2024

Noun

Viewers resistant to a landslide of scatological humor, however, may find the laughs pretty slim in this overlong, uninspired monster spoof. —Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Dec. 2024

Adams doesn’t have a ton to do in Adam McKay’s hit-or-miss NASCAR spoof, other than one key scene where her long, silky mane and sensual speechifying convince superstar Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) to get behind the wheel again. —Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Spoof, a hoaxing game invented by Arthur Roberts †1933 English comedian

First Known Use

Verb

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

spoof

verb

ˈspüf

: to make good-natured fun of

spoof noun