A hoax is a trick in which someone tells people a lie, for example that there is a bomb somewhere when there is not, or that a picture is genuine when it is not.
A series of bomb hoaxes has disrupted Christmas shopping in the city centre.
He denied making the hoax call but was convicted after a short trial.
Synonyms: trick, joke, fraud, con [informal] More Synonyms of hoax
More Synonyms of hoax
hoax in British English
(həʊks)
noun
1.
a deception, esp a practical joke
verb
2. (transitive)
to deceive or play a joke on (someone)
Derived forms
hoaxer (ˈhoaxer)
noun
Word origin
C18: probably from hocus
hoax in American English
(hoʊks)
noun
1.
a trick or fraud, esp. one meant as a practical joke
verb transitive
2.
to deceive with a hoax
SIMILAR WORDS: cheat
Derived forms
hoaxer (ˈhoaxer)
noun
Word origin
< ? hocus
Examples of 'hoax' in a sentence
hoax
He also admitted planting a hoax bomb on a bridge over a major road.
The Sun (2008)
Five other fake devices were found after eight hoax bomb calls.
The Sun (2011)
Police say that the hoax calls are often disturbingly graphic.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
BRITAIN'S worst hoax caller was jailed for four years yesterday.
The Sun (2008)
Humble referred to her murder in his first hoax letter.
The Sun (2006)
A postman has appeared in court charged with sending letters containing white powder and planting a hoax bomb.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
THE passenger whose hoax bomb threat saw a plane diverted under a fighter jet escort leaves court yesterday after owning up.
The Sun (2011)
AN air steward who planted a bomb hoax note on a plane was jailed for 18 months yesterday.
The Sun (2009)
In July 2003 a hoax bomb was delivered and the bomb squad was called.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
In Wells' story the promise of the door in the wall is a cruel hoax.
Christianity Today (2000)
A police spokesman said: 'It was a cruel hoax.
The Sun (2010)
In other languages
hoax
British English: hoax NOUN
A hoax is a trick in which someone tells people a lie, for example that a picture is genuine when it is not.
He denied making the hoax call but was convicted after a short trial.
American English: hoax
Brazilian Portuguese: trote
Chinese: 谎报
European Spanish: broma
French: canular
German: Streich
Italian: scherzo
Japanese: でっち上げ
Korean: 속임
European Portuguese: trote
Latin American Spanish: broma
Chinese translation of 'hoax'
hoax
(həuks)
n(c)
戏(戲)弄 (xìnòng)
(noun)
Definition
a deception, esp. a practical joke
His claim to have a bomb was a hoax.
Synonyms
trick
That was a really mean trick.
joke
I thought she was playing a joke on me at first but she wasn't.
fraud
He never wrote the letter; it was a fraud.
con (informal)
I am afraid you have been the victim of a con.
deception
You've been the victim of a rather cruel deception.
spoof (informal)
prank
a stupid schoolboy prank
swindle
He fled to Switzerland rather than face trial for a tax swindle.
ruse
This was a ruse to divide them.
practical joke
They played a silly practical joke on her.
canard
fast one (informal)
imposture
fastie (Australian, slang)
(verb)
Definition
to deceive or play a joke on (someone)
He recently hoaxed a number of celebrities.
Synonyms
deceive
He has deceived and disillusioned us all.
trick
He'll be upset when he finds out how you tricked him.
fool
Art dealers fool a lot of people.
take in (informal)
con (slang)
He claimed that the businessman had conned him out of his life savings.
wind up (British, slang)
kid (informal)
Are you sure you're not kidding me?
I'm just kidding.
bluff
She tried to bluff her way through the test.
dupe
Some of the offenders duped the psychologists.
gull (archaic)
Consumers are no longer so easily gulled into paying extra for a designer label.
delude
We delude ourselves that we are in control.
swindle
He swindled investors out of millions of pounds.
bamboozle (informal)
He was bamboozled by conmen.
gammon (British, informal)
hoodwink
Many people are hoodwinked by the so-called beauty industry.
take (someone) for a ride (informal)
prank
befool
hornswoggle (slang)
scam (slang)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bamboozle
Definition
to cheat
He was bamboozled by conmen.
Synonyms
cheat,
do (informal),
kid (informal),
skin (slang),
trick,
fool,
take in (informal),
con (informal),
stiff,
sting (informal),
mislead,
rip off (slang),
thwart,
deceive,
fleece,
hoax,
defraud,
dupe,
beguile,
gull (archaic),
delude,
swindle,
stitch up (slang),
victimize,
hoodwink,
double-cross (informal),
diddle (informal),
take for a ride (informal),
do the dirty on (British, informal),
bilk,
pull a fast one on (informal),
cozen
in the sense of befool
Synonyms
fool,
trick,
cheat,
con,
mislead,
impose on,
hoax,
dupe,
beguile,
delude,
outwit,
humbug,
bamboozle (informal),
hoodwink,
cozen (literary)
in the sense of bluff
Definition
to pretend to be confident in order to influence (someone)