Cornucopia of vocabulary
Volume 1
Word 40
Hoax
[hohks]
Noun
something intended to deceive or defraud, a practical joke
Verb
(used with object) to deceive; to trick into believing or accepting
as genuine something false and often preposterous
Origin
18th century, probably an alteration of hocus "conjurer, juggler"
Synonyms
deception; fraud; phony; hoodwink
Antonym
original
Usage
The news that Facebook would be charging users unless they
share Mark Zuckerberg’s photo, was a hoax.
To infer that climate change is a hoax seems ridiculous to me.
The bomb threat is probably a hoax, but we should still evacuate
the building.
April First, also known as April Fools' Day, is a day of hoaxes.
Many people claim that the American moon landing in 1969 was a
hoax.