as in counterfeits
an imitation that is passed off as genuine
the skeleton of the purported ancient hominid turned out to be a hoax
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in tricks
to cause to believe what is untrue
a skilled forger who hoaxed the art world into believing that the paintings were long-lost Vermeers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of hoaxes
Michael E. Mann, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
The apparent hoaxes come amid heightened concern over campus safety following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
While these hoaxes mostly ended up being false alarms, experts note that these types of hoaxes are not only a serious crime with substantial penalties for those involved but can also put first responders and bystanders at risk.
—ABC News, 12 Sep. 2025
The alerts came a day after Charlie Kirk was killed in a campus shooting in Utah — and amid a wave of active shooter hoaxes nationwide.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
The bureau warned that these hoaxes not only waste law enforcement time and resources but also endanger lives.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
During swatting hoaxes, school officials usually have no idea there is a threat until police officers start showing up.
—Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
In almost all the cases, police and administrators said the reports were hoaxes or swatting calls, which is when someone uses temporary cellphone numbers and voice-cloaking apps to create havoc.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025
On the streaming side, major platforms are diving headfirst into true crime, revisiting scandalous celebrity hoaxes and infamous decades-old cases alike.
—Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Noun
In turn, the Koch brothers supported climate denial think tanks, while Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch’s Fox News nightly broadcasts worked overtime to convince Americans that both climate change and COVID-19 were hoaxes or that vaccines were ineffective or unsafe.
—Michael E. Mann, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
The apparent hoaxes come amid heightened concern over campus safety following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
While these hoaxes mostly ended up being false alarms, experts note that these types of hoaxes are not only a serious crime with substantial penalties for those involved but can also put first responders and bystanders at risk.
—ABC News, 12 Sep. 2025
The alerts came a day after Charlie Kirk was killed in a campus shooting in Utah — and amid a wave of active shooter hoaxes nationwide.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
The bureau warned that these hoaxes not only waste law enforcement time and resources but also endanger lives.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
During swatting hoaxes, school officials usually have no idea there is a threat until police officers start showing up.
—Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
In almost all the cases, police and administrators said the reports were hoaxes or swatting calls, which is when someone uses temporary cellphone numbers and voice-cloaking apps to create havoc.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025
On the streaming side, major platforms are diving headfirst into true crime, revisiting scandalous celebrity hoaxes and infamous decades-old cases alike.
—Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoaxes
Noun
-
Marq Vision was cofounded in 2020 by Mark Lee, a former McKinsey consultant who holds a Doctor of Law from Harvard, to identify counterfeits in online listings using AI.—
Zinnia Lee,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The complaint shows a slew of products that Twenty One Pilots alleges are counterfeits bearing their trademarks.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The interference has included both jamming—overpowering communications with strong radio signals—and spoofing, which tricks receivers into misreading their location or even the time.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Although they are born fairly helpless, infants have a few survival tricks up their swaddles.—
Elissa Strauss,
The Atlantic,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Yet the dolls and their fakes continue to be sold in large quantities both domestically and overseas.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Collectors can usually spot fakes by telltale signs like overly bright colors, missing holographic Pop Mart stickers, or the wrong number of teeth.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The letters, provided by Lex Cusack, had turned out to be forgeries, and Hersh was criticized for having had anything to do with them.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
29 Aug. 2025
-
This can get tricky quickly for employers, many of whom aren’t necessarily trained to spot complicated forgeries.—
Dave Boucher,
Freep.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Luminate reports the set sold 9,400 copies in the United States last frame, up from under 400 the period prior.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Calligraphers like Mustapha produce sacred work, such as copies of the Quran, books of religious poetry, and amulets.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hoaxes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoaxes. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share