hoax

1 of 2

verb

hoaxed; hoaxing; hoaxes

transitive verb

: to trick into believing or accepting as genuine something false and often preposterous
were hoaxed by the website
hoaxer noun

hoax

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act intended to trick or dupe : imposture
the victim of a cruel hoax
assumed the bomb threat was just a hoax
2
: something accepted or established by fraud or fabrication
believes the Loch Ness Monster is a hoax
a literary hoax

Examples of hoax in a Sentence

Verb a skilled forger who hoaxed the art world into believing that the paintings were long-lost Vermeers Noun The bomb threat is probably a hoax, but we should still evacuate the building. She was the victim of a cruel hoax.
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
Doxxed addresses have led to hoax 911 calls that prompted SWAT teams to raid victims’ homes. Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 10 June 2024 Such criticism has led some police to respond more aggressively to hoax school shooting calls. Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 5 Oct. 2023
Noun
Victims' families filed lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas accusing Jones of defaming them on his show and inflicting emotional distress by repeatedly suggesting that the shooting, in which a gunman killed 20 first-grade children and six adults, was a hoax. Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024 Underwater archeologists say Le Griffon has long been a target for hoaxes. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 12 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hoax 

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

probably contraction of hocus

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1796, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1808, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hoax was circa 1796

Dictionary Entries Near hoax

Cite this Entry

“Hoax.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoax. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hoax

noun
ˈhōks
1
: an act intended to trick or deceive
2
: something false passed off or accepted as genuine
hoax verb
hoaxer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hoax

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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