lip service
noun
: an avowal of advocacy, adherence, or allegiance expressed in words but not backed by deeds
—usually used with pay
Examples of lip service in a Sentence
She paid lip service to blue-collar workers, but she did nothing to help them.
So far all we've gotten from him is lip service.
Recent Examples on the Web
Is this all lip service, or will those living near the buzz of an overactive data center actually see relief?
—
Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 5 Mar. 2026
No amount of lip service by the president will change that reality.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
In other words, political dinosaurs—or monsters—must at least give lip service to affordability.
—Alissa Quart
january 2, Literary Hub, 2 Jan. 2026
Despite occasionally paying rhetorical lip service to accountability, the Sudanese authorities have never brought any Janjaweed commander to trial.
—Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lip service
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Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 5 Mar. 2026
No amount of lip service by the president will change that reality.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
In other words, political dinosaurs—or monsters—must at least give lip service to affordability.
—Alissa Quart
january 2, Literary Hub, 2 Jan. 2026
Despite occasionally paying rhetorical lip service to accountability, the Sudanese authorities have never brought any Janjaweed commander to trial.
—Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lip service
Cite this Entry
“Lip service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lip%20service. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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