as in hype
information released to the media that is designed to gain public attention or support for a person, business, or cause
the newspaper's local stories are often thinly disguised puffery for area businesses
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of puffery
But overall, there should be a substantial amount of sizzle — or at least copious amounts of hot air and puffery — coming from next week’s upfront presentations.
—
Josef Adalian, Vulture, 10 May 2024
This is where the focused music hall puffery of the production helps.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 22 Apr. 2024
That conclusion may sound preposterously quaint to some, unwelcome advice to a few, ridiculous puffery or an impossible goal to still others.
—David Baldacci, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
Most mentions of Florida were mere puffery, with little indication of what DeSantis intends to accomplish.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for puffery
Josef Adalian, Vulture, 10 May 2024
This is where the focused music hall puffery of the production helps.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 22 Apr. 2024
That conclusion may sound preposterously quaint to some, unwelcome advice to a few, ridiculous puffery or an impossible goal to still others.
—David Baldacci, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
Most mentions of Florida were mere puffery, with little indication of what DeSantis intends to accomplish.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for puffery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puffery
Noun
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By the next morning, the hype had spilled into the markets.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
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Sure, the product trades on hype, is highly volatile and has limited real-world applications.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Roosevelt used his relationship with the press not just to gain publicity but also to deny it to adversaries.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Nov. 2025
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Three decades on, Martin is invited to Ben’s lavish birthday party at the Fitzmaurice’s country pile, but Martin fears that the publicity of Ben’s bid for Conservative leader will dredge up the secrets of their past with tragic consequences.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The lawsuit, filed in New York federal court on Tuesday, brings claims for deceptive practices and false advertising, among others.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Nov. 2025
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Widespread cuts The layoffs hit nearly all of Amazon's business units, from logistics, AWS, retail and grocery stores to Prime Video, advertising and gaming, according to people familiar with the matter and employee posts on LinkedIn.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Months after Timothy Scarr's release from prison, Landmark Christian Center promoted him in a 1988 newspaper advertisement.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
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There were even staged advertisements placed all over the arena, like familiar signage such as a Jiffy Lube ad that were all remixed with the SP5DER branding.—
Essence,
Essence,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puffery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puffery. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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