Hoax Common

Hoax has 4 different meanings across 2 categories:

Definitions

Noun

something intended to deceive; deliberate trickery intended to gain an advantage

"The social media post turned out to be a hoax when the influencer admitted she had fabricated her entire backstory for views."

fraud fraudulence dupery hoax humbug put-on

Anything deliberately intended to deceive or trick.

"The viral photo claiming a celebrity was seen in space turned out to be a clever hoax designed to fool millions of people."

Verb

subject to a playful hoax or joke

"The pranksters managed to fool everyone into believing the missing cat was hiding in the attic for real."

hoax pull someone's leg play a joke on

To deceive (someone) by making them believe something that has been maliciously or mischievously fabricated.

"The viral video was just a hoax designed to trick people into thinking an alien had landed in their backyard."