as in counterfeit
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
the skeleton of the purported ancient hominid turned out to be a hoax
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to trick
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 hoax
New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
That said, just as the scientific study of animal consciousness didn’t grind to a halt due to exaggerated claims about animal intelligence, the presence of hoaxes should not necessarily preclude a serious examination of UFO sightings.
—David Chauvet, JSTOR Daily, 26 Mar. 2025
Mimansa Verma, Quartz, 30 Mar. 2023
Related:Teen jailed after bomb threat hoax AirDropped to American Airlines passengers in El Paso The passenger was traveling with a companion and both were unharmed, though their clothes were soiled with food and wine.
—Dallas News, 2 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for hoax
Noun
In reality, the book and the article were the twin prongs of an elaborate hoax — but an important and influential one, Tinline explains in this entertaining history, with reverberations that have lasted into the present era of QAnon and Deep State conspiracy theories.
—New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
That said, just as the scientific study of animal consciousness didn’t grind to a halt due to exaggerated claims about animal intelligence, the presence of hoaxes should not necessarily preclude a serious examination of UFO sightings.
—David Chauvet, JSTOR Daily, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
Advertisement How aspiring Indian entrepreneurs and students were hoaxed in the quest for funding The World Startup Convention was originally scheduled for Jan. 14-16., before it was postponed to March 24-26.
—Mimansa Verma, Quartz, 30 Mar. 2023
Related:Teen jailed after bomb threat hoax AirDropped to American Airlines passengers in El Paso The passenger was traveling with a companion and both were unharmed, though their clothes were soiled with food and wine.
—Dallas News, 2 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for hoax
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoax
Noun
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Others have used the counterfeits from East Asia to take advantage of Apple by sending in counterfeit phones that couldn't be repaired in order to induce the company to replace the counterfeits with genuine iPhones, Apple isn't the only one plagued by fraudsters.—
Michael Loria,
USA TODAY,
16 Jan. 2025
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Cases of counterfeits have been rare, but with prices rising into the six- and seven-figure range, obtaining that certified guarantee is important.—
Rob Salkowitz,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Be Wary of Phishing Emails and Texts After a breach, scammers may impersonate the affected company to trick you into clicking malicious links.—
Alex Vakulov,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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She was tricked by the very devilish Zeus, who broke his way into many marriages.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Among them, pyramid schemes, membership fee fakes, credit repair cons, dubious health offers, fictitious diploma schools and illegitimate gaming services.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2025
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Always double-check URLs and email addresses to spot fakes.—
Alex Vakulov,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Verb
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That attempt was soon fooled by sloppy play in the neutral zone that gave Brad Marchand a short-handed opportunity.—
Nick Ashbourne,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
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Then, as if anyone was fooled, the talk show host pulled off his hat, wig and snap-on nose and lip piercings and Sheeran pulled of his wig to reveal his signature carrot top to shouts of joy.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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There are plenty of superhero properties out there that fall into the trap of having their antagonists do something heinous to prove that their otherwise just reasons are a sham, but surely in this case, if Maximus (Iwan Rheon) hadn’t staged a coup, another of the Inhuman subjects would’ve. 23.—
Nola Pfau,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2025
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The sunny set includes a quilt in twin/twin XL, full/queen, and king sizes and matching shams to create a cohesive look in your space.—
Megan Schaltegger,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But as, as the brilliant evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller notes, our capacities to judge competence have evolved, so too have our capacities to deceive others about it.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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And Ken claims to be a man of faith but uses fake Uber accounts to meet his girlfriend and deceive his family.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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He was charged with forgery in 2015 and sentenced to 18 months of probation, according to court records.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
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The lawyer who complained cited forgery and insurance fraud related to life insurance policies sold by Daniel Carpenter, the department said.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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For a Gen X-er raised on movies that skewered phonies and wannabes, the thought of being a poser was, in the end, far more offensive to his sensibilities than being potentially bland.—
Rachel Syme,
The New Yorker,
23 Dec. 2024
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The answer is important because being a phony is hard work.—
LaRae Quy,
Forbes,
20 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Hoax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoax. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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