hoopla

noun

hoop·la | \ ˈhü-ˌplä

, ˈhu̇-

Definition of hoopla

: to-do also : ballyhoo

Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about hoopla

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Did You Know?

In French, the interjection houp-là is used roughly the same way as English's upsy-daisy or whoops-a-daisy, as one might say when picking up a child. (This usage can be found in English, too, in such works as Booth Tarkington's The Magnificent Ambersons and James Joyce’s Ulysses.) In the early 20th century, the word, playing on the syllable hoop, gave its name to a ring-toss game played at carnivals. But before that, hoopla was used in American English to refer to a kind of bustling commotion, and later, as a term for sensationalist hype.

Examples of hoopla in a Sentence

Many people have grown tired of all the hoopla surrounding the opening of the new theater. for all of the hoopla, very little news emerged from the governor's press conference

Recent Examples on the Web

But years ago, May Day was celebrated with nearly the same springy hoopla on the first of the month, year after year. — Jessica Leigh Mattern, Country Living, "Do You Remember May Basket Day?," 30 Apr. 2019 There hasn’t been this much hoopla over a return since Gen. Douglas MacArthur waded ashore at the Philippines. — David Whitley, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Tiger Woods 2.0 deserves respect, not adoration," 3 Apr. 2018 Loose silhouettes and large hoopla earrings gave the collection a confident swagger — a little like the 28-year-old wunderkind designer Simon Porte Jacquemus himself. — Thomas Adamson, The Seattle Times, "Dior and Gucci theatrically kick off Paris Fashion Week," 24 Sep. 2018 Kate McKinnon rises above the action-thriller hoopla with moments of sheer near genius. — Soren Andersen, The Seattle Times, "‘The Spy Who Dumped Me’: Kate McKinnon makes familiar action comedy something special," 30 July 2018 When Christmas is not particularly meaningful either in a personal or religious sense, the hoopla can be a burden. — Harper's BAZAAR, "How To Cope With Holiday Loneliness," 25 Dec. 2014 The players always focus on their next game instead of the surrounding hoopla, Clark said. — Tom Groeschen, Cincinnati.com, "No. 5-ranked Bearcats facing tough test at Houston," 14 Feb. 2018 Swept up in the hoopla of longshot Loyola’s postseason success, Hunter attended its Sweet 16 victory over Nevada last week. — Mike Klingaman, baltimoresun.com, "Catching up with ... former Loyola Chicago and Bullets player Les Hunter," 30 Mar. 2018 The challenge will be to keep the momentum rolling when the hoopla around the announcements fades. — Kenneth R. Gosselin, courant.com, "Arrival of Infosys and Seven Stars Raises Hopes For Financial Tech Future Of Hartford Region," 8 July 2018

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