hoax

American  

[hohks] / hoʊks /

noun

1. something intended to deceive or defraud.

   The Piltdown man was a scientific hoax.

   Synonyms:

   humbug, imposture, fake, fraud, deception

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verb (used with object)

1. to deceive by a hoax; hoodwink.

hoax British  

/ həʊks /

noun

1. a deception, esp a practical joke

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

• hoaxer noun
• unhoaxed adjective

Etymology

Origin of hoax

First recorded in 1790–1800; perhaps contraction of hocus

Example Sentences

They say it is unclear if the caller, who was dismissed as a hoax, has been identified or could provide more information.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

You can watch the show as straight narrative, forgetting the hoax and regarding Anthony, who is as much a spectator as a participant, as just another character.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

“These were not hoax devices nor smokebombs,” New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Monday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

Authorities determined that to be a hoax call.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2025

Almost at once the Bogdanov paper excited debate among physicists as to whether it was twaddle, a work of genius, or a hoax.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson