a plan to deceive someone, such as telling the police there is a bomb somewhere when there is not one, or a trick

The bomb threat turned out to be a hoax. 那次炸弹恐吓结果发现是场恶作剧。

He'd made a hoax call claiming to be the president. 他搞了个恶作剧，打电话自称是总统。

Compare: put-on fraud

to deceive, especially by playing a trick on someone