noun, masculine/ka.ny.laʁ/plural: canulars
hoax (anything deliberately intended to deceive or trick)
“Mon pépé croit que l'alunissage était un canular.” — My grandpa believes that the moon landing was a hoax.
Synonyms: supercherie, tromperie, farce, intox
Related: monter un canular
Originally student slang, from pseudo-Latin canularium, from canula, 1913.