🇬🇧 Hoax meaning: English Vocabulary Flash Card

A hoax is when someone makes up a fake story or situation on purpose to fool others into believing it is real. It’s not just a tiny joke; it is a planned trick that can confuse or worry people until they find out it was not true at all.

I launched a hoax about a new rule requiring everyone to speak in rhyme, but it collapsed when I ran out of words for “orange.”

I tried a hoax on my cat by pretending to throw the toy, but she gave me a look that said, “Nice try, human.”

The class president’s promise of free pizza forever was clearly a hoax when he showed up with only one tiny slice.

We thought the school had a swimming pool on the roof, but the “Pool This Way” sign was a cruel hoax pointing to a mop closet.

The rumor that our teacher was an alien turned out to be a hoax started by someone who failed the science test.

On the green, a screaming crowd chased a dark shape. A boy held up his phone, laughing: it was a hoax. The mayor read the online hoax again and felt foolish. The dog that started the hoax wagged. The crowd shouted hoax, then slowly forgave the small hoax as relief spread.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

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