Pronunciation: /hoʊks/
noun a humorous or malicious deception
A1 She believed the email about winning a million dollars was a hoax.
A2 The students quickly realized that the teacher's announcement of a pop quiz was just a hoax.
B1 The company's claim of having a revolutionary new product turned out to be a hoax.
B2 The government officials were caught spreading a hoax about the safety of a controversial new drug.
C1 The elaborate hoax orchestrated by the group fooled even the most skeptical of investigators.
C2 The elaborate hoax was so well-executed that it took years for the truth to finally come to light.
verb to deceive someone with a hoax
A1 He thought about hoaxing his friends by pretending to be a ghost.
A2 The children hoax their teacher by hiding his chalkboard eraser.
B1 The website was accused of hoaxing its readers with fake news stories.
B2 The documentary was criticized for hoaxing the audience with staged footage.
C1 The journalist faced backlash for hoaxing the public with fabricated evidence.
C2 The author was known for hoaxing literary critics with elaborate fictional personas.
formal The government quickly debunked the hoax that was circulating on social media.
informal I can't believe you fell for that silly hoax about aliens landing in the park.
slang That whole story is just a big hoax, don't believe a word of it.
figurative Her smile was like a hoax, hiding the pain she was feeling inside.
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