Hoax
/hoʊks/
Definitions
2 meaningsA trick or deception, often intended to deceive someone.
/hoʊks/
A deceptive act or trick.
The email was a phishing hoax designed to steal personal information.
💡 Simply: Imagine someone playing a really convincing prank on you to fool you. That's a hoax! Like, pretending to find a million dollars when it's really just a clever trick.
👶 For kids: A trick to make people believe something that isn't true.
More Examples
The authorities uncovered a series of elaborate art hoaxes.
Despite the evidence, some people still believe the moon landing was a hoax.
How It's Used
"The news report turned out to be a clever hoax."
"The newspaper exposed the elaborate hoax orchestrated by the con artist."
To deceive someone by a trick.
/hoʊks/
To deceive or trick someone.
The pranksters tried to hoax their teacher by replacing her coffee with salt.
💡 Simply: To hoax is to play a trick on someone, like making them believe something that isn't real, maybe a fake contest.
👶 For kids: To trick or fool someone.
More Examples
He was caught trying to hoax the company into investing in a worthless project.
The comedian enjoyed hoaxing the audience with his clever illusions.
How It's Used
"They attempted to hoax the public with a fake documentary."
"The website was created to hoax visitors into providing their credit card information."
Idioms & expressions
perpetrate a hoax
To carry out or commit a deceptive act.
"The criminals were planning to perpetrate a hoax on the elderly community."
expose a hoax
To reveal the truth behind a deceptive act.
"The journalist worked tirelessly to expose the hoax that was spreading across the Internet."
hoax call
A phone call that reports an emergency, but the emergency is not real.
"The fire department received a hoax call about a fire at the school."
Origin uncertain, but likely from the late 18th or early 19th century. It may be a shortening of 'hocus' or a blend of 'hocus pocus' and 'ox'.
The word 'hoax' became more common in the 19th century with the rise of newspapers and sensational journalism.
Memory tip
Think of a *fake* OX, a deceptive creation.
Word Origin
"Likely related to tricking or deceiving, but the exact etymological roots are unclear."