hoax

[ hohks ]

noun

1. something intended to deceive or defraud:

   The Piltdown man was a scientific hoax.

   Synonyms: humbug, imposture, fake, fraud, deception

verb (used with object)

1. to deceive by a hoax; hoodwink.

hoax

/ həʊks /

noun

1. a deception, esp a practical joke

verb

1. tr to deceive or play a joke on (someone)

Derived Forms

• ˈhoaxer, noun

Other Words From

• hoaxer noun
• un·hoaxed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hoax¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; perhaps contraction of hocus

Word History and Origins

Origin of hoax¹

C18: probably from hocus

Example Sentences

The social network announced its new rules for ads on Tuesday, expanding a previous policy against ads touting vaccine hoaxes.

From Fortune

I thought I’d be having to deal with a lot more people thinking coronavirus is a hoax.

From ProPublica

In the last 12 hours, the President had tweeted repeatedly about his poll numbers and various alleged hoaxes and conspiracies, but issued no statements about the tie-up between Oracle and TikTok.

From Fortune

Americans might have been less conflicted had they known that the baby incubator story was a hoax.

From Ozy

Within segments of the political blogosphere, global warming is dismissed as either a hoax or so uncertain as to be unworthy of response.

From No Straight News

Jacintha Saldanha died in 2012, after receiving the hoax call to a London hospital treating the Duchess of Cambridge.

From The Daily Beast

Hardly anyone, certainly no polite person, ever mentions the Tawana Brawley hoax anymore.

From The Daily Beast

Are American leaders to pretend now that they perpetrated a hoax on Ukrainian leaders?

From The Daily Beast

At the time, authorities in Leizhou denied the reports, asserting that the newspaper had been the victim of a hoax.

From The Daily Beast

If this is all a hoax, Detweiler is a master of the charade.

From The Daily Beast

The fact that the whole affair subsequently proved to be a hoax would not in the least disturb Hunt.

From Project Gutenberg

It was another hoax, and a most daring and gigantic one, on the part of Jack and his friends, upon their long-suffering tutor.

From Project Gutenberg

The atmosphere is perfect for our hoax and several of us who are "in the know" feel sort of creepy as we wait for the next flash.

From Project Gutenberg

Almost immediately it was announced that the news of the victory had been a hoax.

From Project Gutenberg

Smiling in appreciation of the proposed hoax the widow took a step or two.

From Project Gutenberg