hoaxers

noun

plural of hoaxer
1
as in cheats
a dishonest person who uses clever means to cheat others out of something of value if it sounds too good to be true, you're probably dealing with a hoaxer in a boiler room somewhere

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2
as in frauds
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise his college roommate turned out be a complete hoaxer and not the son of a wealthy shipping tycoon he said he was

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hoaxers Maybe two or three groups of hoaxers out there at once, bumping into each other in the dark and scaring the scales off one another. — Star-Telegram Staff, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2026 The film follows a Bigfoot hoax that goes horribly wrong in the middle of an actual Sasquatch hot spot, leading to a chaotic struggle between the hoaxers, investigators, and a supernatural force that defies explanation. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 18 June 2026 Officials have received multiple letters claiming to be ransom notes—and seem to have spent much of their time attempting to discern which, if any, might be authentic, and which might be the work of hoaxers. — Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoaxers
  1. cheats
  2. frauds
  3. dodgers
  4. fakes
  5. sharks
Noun
  • Sometimes, the fourth-grader asks Robo-Dad for Minecraft cheats.
    — Ella Chakarian, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2026
  • Her most notable reporting has been about taxes, including exposing billionaire tax cheats and writing cover stories on tax shelters (corporate and individual), tax evasion, and tax policy.
    — Forbes Membership, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026
Definition of cheats
Noun
  • In 2018, Modi was accused by Indian authorities of orchestrating one of the country’s largest bank frauds in modern history.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • In 2024, Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison for orchestrating what prosecutors have called one of the biggest financial frauds in American history.
    — Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of frauds
Noun
  • The White House is now cracking down on these tariff dodgers.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Ukraine faces severe personnel shortages with around 200,000 military desertions and 2 million draft-dodgers, threatening its ability to sustain the war against Russia’s 2022 invasion.
    — Kirsten Grieshaber, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
Definition of dodgers
Noun
  • The Institute assists some 2,700 museums, libraries, and archival organizations, and, in this case, assisted the Ontario Provincial Police, exposing fakes and ultimately testifying for the prosecution in the trial of one of the fraudsters.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The second-round pass rusher made aggressive mistakes, falling twice for option fakes and overrunning a screen pass early.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of fakes
Noun
  • The practice of cutting fins off live sharks and throwing the carcasses back into the sea is banned in much of the Pacific Ocean, but persists due to demand in East and Southeast Asia.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • DeRisi told me how, a few years ago, there was a large die-off of leopard sharks in the San Francisco Bay.
    — Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of sharks

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Cite this Entry

“Hoaxers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoaxers. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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