clickbait

noun

click·bait | \ ˈklik-ˌbāt

Definition of clickbait

: something (such as a headline) designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest It is difficult to remember a time when you could scroll through the social media outlet of your choice and not be bombarded with: You'll never believe what happened when … This is the cutest thing ever … This the biggest mistake you can make … Take this quiz to see which character you are on … They are all classic clickbait models.— Emily Shire

Examples of clickbait in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The timely story also touches on Internet clickbait culture and headlines. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 11 Mar. 2022 Naturally, many low-quality clickbait springs out from negative cannabis industry stories. — Hazey Taughtme, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2022 In the digital age, those images of people’s worst days are forever lurking as internet clickbait. — Keri Blakinger, oregonlive, 27 Dec. 2021 Many of its most popular posts have been apolitical clickbait — police-chase videos, accidents and weather disasters. — Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2022 In the digital age, those images of people’s worst days are forever lurking as internet clickbait. — Keri Blakinger, oregonlive, 27 Dec. 2021 In the digital age, those images of people’s worst days are forever lurking as internet clickbait. — Keri Blakinger, oregonlive, 27 Dec. 2021 In the digital age, those images of people’s worst days are forever lurking as internet clickbait. — Keri Blakinger, oregonlive, 27 Dec. 2021 These services are commonly advertised in search results for a person’s name, peppering Google with clickbait that tantalizes you to learn more about your new coworker or date. — Sarah Lageson, Wired, 23 Dec. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clickbait.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.