clickbait

noun click·bait \ ˈklik-ˌbāt \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

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

Recent Examples of clickbait from the Web

Photo essays of sprawling lots of abandoned bikes in China, or bikes hanging from trees or sunk in creeks in Washington, DC or Dallas, are popular online clickbait.

— andrew j. hawkins, The Verge, "Uber acquires dockless bike-share startup Jump," 9 Apr. 2018
Here, the protest sign transitions from an expression of conviction to something far more marketable—clickbait—plus bragging rights for whichever clever marcher happened to make the cut.

— julianne tveten, The New Republic, "How corporate America has commodified the protest movements of the Trump era," 4 Apr. 2018
While the clickbait candidate this last round was Donald Trump, future elections could just as easily feature a left-wing ideologue with an equally engaging style.

— alexis c. madrigal, The Atlantic, "Why Donald Trump Was the 'Perfect Candidate' for Facebook," 26 Feb. 2018
And while his athletes are at best an asterisk at the games, the 229-member strong, all-female and unabashedly campy cheering squad is the hottest clickbait around.

— USA TODAY, "North Korea won Pyeongchang political gold, but what's next?," 12 Feb. 2018
An analysis from the Press Association found that the clickbait crackdown has already resulted in decreased engagement for news publishers.

— alyssa newcomb, NBC News, "Facebook’s news feed changes are latest blow to publishers, brands," 12 Jan. 2018
The content includes perfunctory right-wing clickbait about national political news, stories about California news and politics, and even seven posts about the efforts of the Fresno State Bulldogs.

— chas danner, Daily Intelligencer, "Devin Nunes Has His Own Content Farm," 11 Feb. 2018
Facebook crackdown on clickbait has already hurt engagement While this may be another blow to publishers and brands, many already took the first big hit last year.

— alyssa newcomb, NBC News, "Facebook’s news feed changes are latest blow to publishers, brands," 12 Jan. 2018
Image Henrietta Red, a restaurant in the Germantown neighborhood of Nashville that opened last February, has many of the telltale trappings of Instagram clickbait.

— New York Times, "A Nashville Restaurant That Tastes as Good as It Looks," 4 Jan. 2018

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.