| Humorous or malicious deception (4) |
The Guardian Quick |
26 Mar 2026 |
| Deceptive trick |
The Telegraph Quick |
25 Mar 2026 |
| Fraud |
Premier Sunday |
22 Mar 2026 |
| Elaborate prank |
New York Times Midi |
13 Mar 2026 |
| Elaborate deception |
Universal |
11 Mar 2026 |
| Elaborate ruse |
USA Today |
02 Mar 2026 |
| House with a sign of something wrong that fraudster perpetrates? (4) |
The Guardian Cryptic |
12 Feb 2026 |
| Act of humorous or malicious deception (4) |
Mirror Classic |
07 Feb 2026 |
| Ruse |
USA Today |
25 Oct 2025 |
| Elaborate ruse |
Universal |
25 Sep 2025 |
| Deliberate false alarm |
|
|
| Stop wife leaving by trick (4) |
The Sun Two Speed |
17 Sep 2025 |
| Snopes.com entry, perhaps? |
|
|
| Snopes may debunk one |
USA Today |
22 Aug 2025 |
| Flimflam (4) |
The Guardian Quick |
13 Aug 2025 |
| Elaborate deception |
USA Today |
13 Aug 2025 |
| Elaborate trick |
USA Today |
12 Aug 2025 |
| Scam |
The Telegraph Quick |
12 Jul 2025 |
| Practical joke in house with a cross (4) |
|
|
| Practical joke placing US tool under house (4) |
|
|
| Deception |
The Telegraph Quick |
22 Jun 2025 |
| Regular shmo will answer unknown number, though it might be a prank |
|
|
| Practical joke |
The Telegraph Quick |
20 Jun 2025 |
| Elaborate deception |
Newsday |
19 May 2025 |
| A practical joke or deception (4) |
|
|
| Trick |
The Telegraph Quick |
15 May 2025 |
| Phony happening |
|
|
| Humbug |
Newsday |
10 May 2025 |
| Deceptive trick |
|
|
| Con man's trick |
Thomas Joseph |
25 Apr 2025 |
| Elaborate deception |
Commuter |
12 Apr 2025 |
| Elaborate fake |
Wall Street Journal |
07 Apr 2025 |
| Elaborate fraud |
Family Time |
06 Apr 2025 |
| House given a cross in practical joke (4) |
|
|
| Deceptive practical joke (4) |
|
|
| Snopes.com entry, perhaps? |
|
|
| Have one on a" have only half eaten nothing before ten (4) |
|
|
| Kid in house given a kiss |
The Times Sunday Cryptic |
16 Feb 2025 |
| Hydroxide one is to cross with some practical joke (4) |
|
|
| Con man's trick |
Thomas Joseph |
29 Jan 2025 |
| Elaborate deception |
Newsday |
22 Jan 2025 |
| News of an alien landing, probably |
New York Times |
14 Jan 2025 |
| Deceptive trick |
The Telegraph Quick |
01 Jan 2025 |
| Scam |
The Telegraph Quick |
23 Dec 2024 |
| * Like stories surrounding 11a, perhaps (rhymes with "coax") |
|
|
| Fraudulent stunt |
The Times Concise |
10 Dec 2024 |
| Prank on the public |
New York Times |
09 Dec 2024 |
| Deception |
The Times Sunday Concise |
08 Dec 2024 |
| Public prank |
|
|
| The Cardiff Giant or Bigfoot, for example |
|
|
| Call some taxis to a house as a prank |
|
|
| Trick |
|
|
| Malicious deception in house with a cross (4) |
|
|
| Deception |
Mirror Classic |
14 Sep 2024 |
| Deceptive scam (4) |
|
|
| How tax lost a little weight, leading to fraud (4) |
|
|
| Malicious trick? |
The Telegraph Quick |
18 Aug 2024 |
| Practical joke |
Mirror Quick |
13 Aug 2024 |
| Husband gets bull with a deception |
Mirror Cryptic |
13 Aug 2024 |
| Mischievous deception (4) |
|
|
| Flimflam |
The Times Sunday Concise |
28 Jul 2024 |
| Target for a debunker |
Wall Street Journal |
16 Jul 2024 |
| A humorous or malicious deception (4) |
|
|
| Prank (4) |
The Guardian Quick |
03 Jun 2024 |
| Deception |
Mirror Classic |
01 Jun 2024 |
| A deception (4) |
|
|
| Many a news headline on April 1 |
|
|
| Scam |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
12 May 2024 |
| Macho axemen conceal practical joke |
|
|
| The Cardiff Giant, for one |
New York Times |
10 Apr 2024 |
| Joking deception (4) |
|
|
| Hot draft animal maintains a deception (4) |
|
|
| Deceptive trick or scam (4) |
|
|
| Something false that has been passed off as genuine (4) |
|
|
| Con man's trick |
Thomas Joseph |
28 Feb 2024 |
| Snopes.com entry, perhaps? |
|
|
| Home Office careless, missing first scam |
The Times Quick Cryptic |
24 Feb 2024 |
| Hoodwink |
Wall Street Journal |
24 Feb 2024 |
| Deception |
The Telegraph Quick |
18 Feb 2024 |
| No angle is hexagonal? Humbug! (4) |
|
|
| Scam |
Thomas Joseph |
16 Jan 2024 |
| Fake news article on April Fool's Day say |
|
|
| It's phony-baloney |
Universal |
15 Jan 2024 |
| Elaborate deception |
Newsday |
08 Jan 2024 |
| Deception |
Eugene Sheffer |
02 Jan 2024 |
| Fraud, deception (4) |
|
|
| Murphy |
|
|
| Public prank |
LA Times Daily |
13 Dec 2023 |
| Like stories surrounding 11a, perhaps (rhymes with "coax") |
|
|
| Sidd Finch, in baseball journalism lore |
|
|
| Big fake |
|
|
| Loch Ness monster, apparently |
New York Times |
19 Nov 2023 |
| Deception |
The Guardian Quick |
17 Nov 2023 |
| What a cryptid might be |
New York Times |
12 Oct 2023 |
| Elaborate fraud |
Family Time |
10 Sep 2023 |
| Deception |
Eugene Sheffer |
12 Aug 2023 |
| Like an urban legend |
|
|
| Act of deception (rhymes with "coax") |
|
|
| Crop circles, for one |
Universal |
05 Jul 2023 |
| Many a cryptid sighting, e.g |
Universal |
16 Jun 2023 |
| Evidence of a 49-Across, presumably |
Universal |
23 May 2023 |
| Debunker's target |
|
|
| Dupe |
Thomas Joseph |
28 Apr 2023 |
| Fabricated story |
|
|
| Elaborate ruse |
Universal |
29 Jan 2023 |
| Deception |
The Times Concise |
17 Nov 2022 |
| Stop scratching head and vote for fraud |
|
|
| Deceptive trick |
The Times Concise |
21 Oct 2022 |
| Dupe |
Thomas Joseph |
20 Oct 2022 |
| Initially head off a sign of voting fraud |
The Times Cryptic |
18 Oct 2022 |
| Woman not oddly cross after husband's practical joke |
|
|
| Deliberate false alarm |
|
|
| Deception |
Eugene Sheffer |
07 Sep 2022 |
| Deception |
Eugene Sheffer |
05 Aug 2022 |
| Abominable Snowman (probably) |
New York Times |
05 Jul 2022 |
| Elaborate deception |
Newsday |
12 May 2022 |
| Prankster's project |
Newsday |
11 Mar 2022 |
| Elaborate ruse |
USA Today |
26 Feb 2022 |
| Deceptive trick |
The Times Concise |
30 Dec 2021 |
| Intentional false alarm? |
|
|
| Deception |
Eugene Sheffer |
08 Dec 2021 |
| Virtually hot and cross after a practical joke |
The Telegraph Cryptic |
16 Nov 2021 |
| Deliberate trick |
The Guardian Quick |
16 Oct 2021 |
| Act of deception |
|
|
| Major deception |
Wall Street Journal |
16 Sep 2021 |
| Elaborate ruse |
LA Times Daily |
06 Sep 2021 |
| Elaborate ruse |
|
|
| Like some UFO sightings |
|
|
| Deceptive act |
LA Times Daily |
22 May 2021 |
| Deceptive act |
|
|
| One may get pulled in deception |
|
|
| Stop wife leaving by trick |
|
|
| Humorous deception |
The Telegraph Quick |
08 Mar 2021 |
| Elaborate deception |
Newsday |
15 Feb 2021 |
| Elaborate fraud |
Newsday |
19 Jan 2021 |
| Take in cable, with height not constant |
|
|
| Many an April 1 “news” item |
Wall Street Journal |
05 Jan 2021 |
| Stop scratching head and vote for fraud |
|
|
| Like some UFO sightings (rhymes with "coax") |
|
|
| Trick Xhosa played after son left |
|
|
| Elaborate ruse |
USA Today |
02 Jun 2020 |
| Spoof |
The Telegraph Quick |
27 May 2020 |
| Deception |
Eugene Sheffer |
17 Mar 2020 |
| It can be spread by a doctored photograph |
|
|
| Candidate for debunking |
Wall Street Journal |
28 Dec 2019 |
| Many an urban legend |
Wall Street Journal |
25 Nov 2019 |
| It's not for real |
Newsday |
09 Nov 2019 |
| Elaborate deception |
|
|
| Elaborate deception |
New York Times |
06 Nov 2019 |
| Mencken’s history of the bathtub, e.g |
Wall Street Journal |
19 Sep 2019 |
| The Cardiff Giant, notably |
LA Times Daily |
05 Sep 2019 |
| The Cardiff Giant, notably |
|
|
| Like some UFO sightings |
|
|
| 1869's Cardiff Giant, e.g |
Wall Street Journal |
24 Jul 2019 |
| April Fools' Day rumor, for e.g. |
|
|
| Deceptive trick |
Newsday |
10 Jul 2019 |
| Kid's hard, picked up fellers' targets? |
The Telegraph Toughie |
31 May 2019 |
| Intended trick or prank |
|
|
| Prank |
The Times Concise |
19 May 2019 |
| Deceptive trick |
The Telegraph Quick |
05 Feb 2019 |
| Set up housing loans from Halifax banks |
|
|
| The Cardiff Giant, notably |
|
|
| 1869's Cardiff Giant, e.g. |
|
|
| Mencken's history of the bathtub, e.g. |
|
|
| Flimflam |
Thomas Joseph |
12 Dec 2018 |
| Deception |
The Times Concise |
28 Nov 2018 |
| Con man's trick |
Thomas Joseph |
10 Oct 2018 |
| Hoodwink |
New York Times |
03 Oct 2018 |
| Elaborate prank |
Universal |
27 Jul 2018 |
| Practical joke, a leg-pull |
|
|
| Hoodwink |
|
|
| Elaborate prank |
|
|
| Snopes.com subject |
|
|
| Debunked thing |
Wall Street Journal |
08 Nov 2017 |
| Prank |
The Telegraph Quick |
27 Aug 2017 |
| Barnum's 'Feejee Mermaid,' e.g |
Wall Street Journal |
03 Aug 2017 |
| Fraud |
LA Times Daily |
24 Jul 2017 |
| Fraud |
|
|
| A fabricated event or piece of news, sometimes done as a practical joke |
|
|
| Attempt to attract attention with a kiss that deceives |
The Times Cryptic |
25 May 2017 |
| Major prank |
Newsday |
18 May 2017 |
| Scam |
The Telegraph Quick |
07 Mar 2017 |
| Scam or sham |
|
|
| Elaborate ruse |
LA Times Daily |
26 Feb 2017 |
| Relative of fake news |
New York Times |
03 Jan 2017 |
| Elaborate ruse |
|
|
| Relative of fake news |
|
|
| Fraud |
|
|
| Fraud |
The Telegraph Quick |
02 Dec 2016 |
| Crop circles, e.g |
New York Times |
11 Nov 2016 |
| Welles's 'The War of the Worlds,' e.g |
|
|
| Put-on |
USA Today |
13 Oct 2016 |
| Deception |
The Guardian Speedy |
10 Sep 2016 |
| Set-up housing loans from Halifax banks (4) |
|
|
| Put-on |
LA Times Daily |
29 May 2016 |
| Publicity stunt, perhaps |
|
|
| Scam |
Newsday |
13 Apr 2016 |
| Scam |
LA Times Daily |
03 Mar 2016 |
| Put on |
New York Times |
19 Feb 2016 |
| Put-on |
|
|
| Gull in trees with aspiration, we hear? |
|
|
| Deceptive deed |
|
|
| Put-on |
|
|
| Put-on |
|
|
| Crop circles, e.g. |
|
|
| Major prank |
|
|
| Fake |
LA Times Daily |
14 Nov 2015 |
| Horse — farm animal — eating a gull |
The Times Cryptic |
05 Nov 2015 |
| What an unbelievable YouTube video might be |
New York Times |
07 Oct 2015 |
| Deceptive trick, could be malicious |
|
|
| Practical joke |
The Telegraph Quick |
16 May 2015 |
| Practical joke, tho', not beginning with a kiss |
|
|
| Trick |
The Telegraph Quick |
23 Jan 2015 |
| Major prank |
|
|
| Fake |
|
|
| What an unbelievable YouTube video might be |
|
|
| Fast one hardly observes at Xmas, first of all |
|
|
| Fool in house is useless with a kiss |
|
|
| Husband gets one involved in neat trick |
|
|
| April 1st antic |
|
|
| Swindle |
|
|
| Stratagem |
|
|
| Robin Davey band The ___ |
|
|
| Deception |
|
|
| Elaborate fraud |
|
|
| April 1 trick |
|
|
| Manti Te'o's girlfriend, for one |
|
|
| Scam or sham |
|
|
| Dupe's downfall |
|
|
| Piltdown man, for one |
|
|
| Trick gives prostitute a kiss |
|
|
| Piltdown Man, e.g. |
|
|
| Bamboozle |
|
|
| Barnum's Fiji mermaid, for one |
|
|
| Barnum's Fiji mermaid, for one |
|
|
| Snopes.com subject |
|
|
| Piltdown man, for one |
|
|
| Global warming, some say |
|
|
| Many a P.T. Barnum exhibit |
|
|
| April 1 news story, maybe |
|
|
| Elaborate ruse |
|
|
| "The War of the Worlds" broadcast, notably |
|
|
| Fraud |
|
|
| Cottingley Fairies, for one |
|
|
| Fraud |
|
|
| Elaborate fake |
|
|
| Many an urban legend |
|
|
| Put one over on |
|
|
| "The War of the Worlds" broadcast, notably |
|
|
| The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, e.g. |
|
|
| Debunker's target |
|
|
| Piltdown man, say |
|
|
| Deceitful device |
|
|
| 1938 "The War of the Worlds" broadcast, for one |
|
|
| Piltdown man, say |
|
|
| April Fool's Day prank |
|
|
| 1938 "The War of the Worlds" broadcast, for one |
|
|
| Elaborate fraud |
|
|
| Elaborate fraud |
|
|
| "Balloon Boy," for one |
|
|
| Sting, for instance |
|
|
| Sham or scam |
|
|
| Snow job |
|
|
| UFO photo, perhaps |
|
|
| Mare's nest |
|
|
| Piltdown man, e.g. |
|
|
| It's perpetrated by a prankster |
|
|
| Sting, for instance |
|
|
| Piltdown man, e.g. |
|
|
| Con |
|
|
| Bigfoot photo, e.g. |
|
|
| Piltdown man, notably |
|
|
| Deceptive act |
|
|
| It's a trick |
|
|
| Dupery |
|
|
| April 1 event |
|
|
| Major prank |
|
|
| Elaborate April fool |
|
|
| Something intended to deceive |
|
|
| Fake |
|
|
| Many a P.T. Barnum attraction |
|
|
| Debunked thing |
|
|
| Imposture |
|
|
| Sham |
|
|
| Elaborate falsehood |
|
|
| Elaborate lie |
|
|
| Fraudulent event |
|
|
| April 1st event |
|
|
| The Piltdown Man, notably |
|
|
| Subject of a forwarded e-mail, often |
|
|
| Elaborate ruse |
|
|
| Hoodwink |
|
|
| Prankster's project |
|
|
| The Cardiff Giant, for one |
|
|
| Welles' Martian invasion broadcast, e.g. |
|
|
| Art forgery, maybe |
|
|
| Piltdown man, e.g. |
|
|
| Scam |
|
|
| The 1938 broadcast of "The War of the Worlds" was one |
|
|
| Debunker's target |
|
|
| Fraudulence |
|
|
| Piltdown man, for one |
|
|
| Hornswoggle |
|
|
| Con |
|
|
| The Cardiff Giant, for one |
|
|
| Hoodwink |
|
|
| The 1938 broadcast of "The War of the Worlds" was one |
|
|
| The Piltdown Man, e.g. |
|
|
| Flimflam |
|
|
| Fast one |
|
|
| Put-on |
|
|
| Piltdown Man, for one |
|
|
| Forged artifact, e.g. |
|
|
| Bamboozlement |
|
|
| The Hitler Diaries, e.g. |
|
|
| Like an urban legend |
|
|
| Put-on |
|
|
| It's not for real |
|
|
| False claim |
|
|
| Like a famous Welles radio broadcast |
|
|
| Put-on |
|
|
| Martian invasion report, e.g. |
|
|
| Piltdown Man, for one |
|
|
| Hornswoggle |
|
|
| Put-on |
|
|
| Deception |
|
|
| The Piltdown man, notably |
|
|
| Spoof |
|
|
| The Piltdown man, e.g. |
|
|
| The Piltdown man, notably |
|
|
| Bamboozle |
|
|
| The Cardiff Giant, e.g. |
|
|
| Put-on |
|
|
| Hornswoggle |
|
|
| Piltdown Man, e.g. |
|
|
| Deception |
|
|
| Piltdown man, e.g. |
|
|
| Campus prank, often |
|
|
| Attempted deception |
|
|
| Elaborate lie |
|
|
| Trickster's deception |
|
|
| The Piltdown man, e.g. |
|
|
| The Piltdown man, e.g. |
|
|
| UFO's, perhaps |
|
|
| The Piltdown man, for one |
|
|
| Plan to fool |
|
|
| Deceitful act |
|
|
| Deceitful act |
|
|
| Trick |
|
|
| Put-on |
|
|
| Hornswoggle |
|
|
| Hoodwink |
|
|
| Crop circles, e.g. |
|
|
| Mare's nest |
|
|
| England's crop circles, notably |
|
|
| Mare's-nest |
|
|
| Fraudulent claim |
|
|
| Welles' Martian invasion broadcast, e.g. |
|
|
| The Piltdown Man, for one |
|
|
| Deception |
|
|
| Flimflam |
|
|
| Deception |
|
|
| Bamboozle |
|
|
| Practical joke |
|
|
| Practical joke |
|
|
| Rip-off |
|
|
| Martian invasion report, e.g. |
|
|
| Major prank |
|
|
| Fraud |
|
|
| Imposture |
|
|
| Practical joke |
|
|
| Mare's-nest |
|
|
| Practical joke |
|
|
| Ruse |
|
|
| Canard |
|
|
| Practical joke, e.g. |
|
|
| Fraud |
|
|
| Mare's nest |
|
|
| Hitler's diaries, e.g. |
|
|
| Dupe |
|
|
| Flimflam |
|
|
| Mare's-nest. |
|
|
| Wily trick. |
|
|
| Practical joke. |
|
|
| Mislead. |
|
|
| Trick. |
|
|
| Deception. |
|
|
| Piltdown man, for one. |
|
|
| Milli Vanilli, famously |
|
|
| Facebook privacy announcement, e.g. |
|
|
| Kurt Vonnegut's faux commencement address e-mail, e.g. |
|
|
| Like many a catfish relationship |
|
|
| The Cardiff Giant was one. |
|
|
| Fraud. |
|
|