hoax

noun
UK: /həʊks/
US: /hoʊks/

  1. A trick or deception intended to deceive or mislead, often elaborate.

    1. The UFO sighting was a hoax.
    2. Scientists exposed the elaborate hoax, revealing manipulated data and fabricated evidence.

  2. Something accepted or established by fraud or deceit.

    1. The haunted house turned out to be a hoax.
    2. Many believe the moon landing was a hoax perpetrated to win the space race.

Synonyms

deception fraud trick sham ruse spoof fake deceive dupe fool
hoax verb

  1. To deceive or play a trick on someone.

    1. He tried to hoax his friends.
    2. The teenagers hoaxed the media by staging a fake alien abduction story.

  2. To create a false impression or belief.

    1. She hoaxed everyone into thinking she was rich.
    2. The con artist hoaxed investors into funding a nonexistent project.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "hoax" in English means: A trick or deception intended to deceive or mislead, often elaborate., Something accepted or established by fraud or deceit..

The phonetic transcription of "hoax" is /həʊks/ in British English and /hoʊks/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "hoax": deception, fraud, trick, sham, ruse, spoof, fake, deceive, dupe, fool.

Example usage of "hoax": "The UFO sighting was a hoax.". More examples on the page.