spoof

1 of 2

verb

spoofed; spoofing; spoofs
Synonyms of spoofnext

transitive verb

1
2
: to make good-natured fun of

spoof

2 of 2

noun

1
2
: a light humorous parody
spoofery noun
spoofy adjective

Examples of spoof in a Sentence

Verb spoofed overly competitive parents in a mockumentary about tryouts for a national T-ball team the newspaper was spoofed by a supposedly plausible claim of a UFO encounter Noun many viewers thought that the spoof of a television newscast was the real thing
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Investigators determined the text had come through a voice over IP service capable of spoofing phone numbers. Michael Ruiz , Matt Finn, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026 One of the Anthropic ads — a version of which will air on NBC’s Super Bowl LX telecast — spoofs an OpenAI commercial that depicts a young man doing pull-ups in a park and uses ChatGPT to create a workout plan. Todd Spangler, Variety, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
Guthrie went back to her alma mater The University of Arizona, greeting its president Suresh Garimella in one spoof and meeting sorority sisters at her own Pi Beta Phi in another skit. Chris Kenning, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026 No weapons were found, and police told Fox San Antonio the phone call came from Philadelphia and was later determined to be a spoof. Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 30 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for spoof

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Spoof, a hoaxing game invented by Arthur Roberts †1933 English comedian

First Known Use

Verb

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spoof was in 1889

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spoof.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spoof. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

spoof

verb
ˈspüf
: to make good-natured fun of
spoof noun

More from Merriam-Webster on spoof

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster