hoax
noun
something intended to deceive or defraud.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But that email, even if genuine, is unlikely to provide the leads that police and airport authorities need to pin down who is generating these hoaxes and why.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
The FBI said in April that Americans lost over $893 million last year to AI-enabled hoaxes, including voice cloning scams.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
She finds out about these hoaxes when job seekers call to follow up on overtures they received from “Sarah Englade.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
The binder, offered by Kate Mitas, Bookseller for $5,000, contains 74 pieces of correspondence — epistolary catfishing at its finest and one of the great undiscovered literary hoaxes of the 20th century.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2025
MACUSA’s Department of No-Maj Misinformation has put in extensive work to convince Muggles that sightings of Hodags have been hoaxes.
From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling
