spoof

A funny imitation of a film, person, or style that makes its features seem silly or extreme.

• We watched a funny spy spoof.
• The film is a spoof of old horror movies.
• Her comedy show includes spoofs of famous adverts.

How to use it: a spoof of something (They made a spoof of a famous detective series.)

Similar words: parody, send-up

Common phrases: spoof of something, horror spoof, spy spoof

An online attack or fake digital item that pretends to come from a trusted source.

• That bank website is a spoof.
• The security team detected an email spoof.
• A convincing spoof persuaded users to enter their passwords.

Common phrases: email spoof, website spoof, address spoof

A trick intended to make someone believe something false, often as a joke.

• The announcement was a spoof.
• His friends planned a harmless spoof for his birthday.
• Everyone believed the story until the spoof was revealed.

Similar words: hoax, prank

Common phrases: elaborate spoof, harmless spoof

To imitate someone or something in a funny way that makes them seem silly.

• The sketch spoofs a famous actor.
• They spoofed several detective films.
• Her new comedy spoofs the world of fashion.

Similar words: parody, mock

Common phrases: spoof a movie, spoof someone, spoof a genre

To fake a digital identity or source so that it appears to belong to someone else.

• Scammers can spoof your phone number.
• The attackers spoofed the sender’s email address.
• Someone is spoofing the company website to steal passwords.

Similar words: fake, falsify

Common phrases: spoof an address, spoof a website, spoof caller identity

To make someone or something accept false information or respond in the wrong way.

• The false signal spoofed the radar.
• They tried to spoof the enemy with misleading messages.
• The device can spoof sensors into reporting the wrong distance.

How to use it: spoof someone/something into doing something (The signal spoofed the system into reporting a false position.)

Similar words: trick, fool, deceive

Common phrases: spoof someone, spoof a system, spoof enemy radar