dox

American  

[doks] / dɒks /

Also doxx

noun

Slang.

1. a person’s identifying information, as address, phone number, name, or alias, when maliciously posted online to target that person for pranks, fraud, or other harassment.

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verb (used with or without object)

Slang.

doxed, doxing

1. to publish the private personal information of (another person) or reveal the identity of (an online poster) without the consent of that individual.

   The professor was doxed by a bitter student who failed her class.

   Several players doxed the programmer because the final version of the game disappointed them.

Etymology

Origin of dox

First recorded in 2000–05; alteration of docs, plural of doc (shortening of document ( def. ) )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dox doxed doxing

Jurors acquitted all three women of conspiring to dox Huitzilin.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2026

“We shouldn’t have people continue to dox law enforcement.”

From Salon ● Jan. 18, 2026

“You dox, you get suspended. End of story. That’s it,” he said on a Twitter Space audio discussion late Thursday, referring to the act of disclosing someone personal details online.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 16, 2022

"If you dox, you get suspended. End of story," Musk said repeatedly in response to questions.

From Reuters ● Dec. 16, 2022

Always the woman appears as the practical guide; the one who keeps her head, even in love:—    Elle l'a mis a raison:     "Aucassins, biax amis dox,     En quele tere en irons nous?"

From Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres by Henry Adams

Tech mogul Elon Musk is being sued by a Texas resident who says the billionaire misidentifying him in a social media post led to him being harassed and doxed.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 3, 2023

He told the BBC he had been doxed and his parents harassed.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2023

The YouTuber has been a polarizing personality on the platform, has been doxed and accused of cheating in Minecraft.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2022

I feel like we’re all struggling with how we deal with the threat of misinformation as well as the idea of someone being doxed.

From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2022

During the August 2021 hearing, Little testified that Zacharek exchanged text messages with Duncan about how he was going to handle getting doxed.

From Salon ● Mar. 23, 2022

The doxing charge was dropped after he informed a prosecutor of his error late last year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026

DHS officials have defended the practice, saying it protects agents from doxing or harassment.

From BBC ● Jan. 8, 2026

Costero himself became a target, facing legal threats and a doxing campaign that revealed his personal information, branded him an electronic extortionist, and painted Wikipedia’s volunteer editors as enemies of the people.

From Slate ● Oct. 22, 2025

On the subject of intimidation — that’s also one of the things that I wanted to get your thoughts on, particularly the pizza doxing you mentioned.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2025

Some argue that federal agents have become spooked in recent years as the threat of doxing — not just to them, but their families — has magnified.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2025