The phrase fake news moved from political reporting into everyday internet slang during the 2016 United States election cycle, when it was used repeatedly in speeches, interviews and social media posts to dismiss critical coverage. Short clips isolating the phrase then spread on soundboards, Vine successors and messaging apps, where the meaning broadened beyond politics. Online it now signals any unbelievable, biased or made-up story, and creators reuse it as a quick reaction label in memes, edits and comment threads, which keeps the sound in circulation long after the original news cycle.