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
But some involved contended the attention amounted to lip service, and that straight men exerted an undue amount of control over the events.
—
Chris Willman, Variety, 26 Sep. 2023
Other permanent Security Council members, including the United States, have also resisted meaningful reform while paying lip service to the idea.
—Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2023
Over the years Netanyahu paid lip service to the idea of a two-state solution before ultimately abandoning it altogether, on the eve of Israel’s 2015 elections.
—Bypaolo Confino, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2023
The author paid lip service to the UAW’s concern that the automakers are conniving to use the EV transition to undermine union membership, but the trend deserves more than lip service.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023
The word gets batted around a lot, but there’s little in Galliano’s unsympathetic demeanor in the interviews shot for High & Low to suggest much more than lip service.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Sep. 2023
But not every fashion brand is tackling the body image conversation head-on like Rihanna, and while there is a lot of lip service surrounding the topic, there is unfortunately still a long way to go.
—Charlie Teather, Glamour, 24 Aug. 2023
His frequent declarations of love for Detroit and Michigan weren’t just tour-stop lip service.
—Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 18 Aug. 2023
The survey suggests that many business leaders are either not pursuing climate-friendly goals, merely giving lip service to the environment, not communicating clearly with workers, or some combination of the above.
—Bylila MacLellan, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2023
See More
Chris Willman, Variety, 26 Sep. 2023
Other permanent Security Council members, including the United States, have also resisted meaningful reform while paying lip service to the idea.
—Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2023
Over the years Netanyahu paid lip service to the idea of a two-state solution before ultimately abandoning it altogether, on the eve of Israel’s 2015 elections.
—Bypaolo Confino, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2023
The author paid lip service to the UAW’s concern that the automakers are conniving to use the EV transition to undermine union membership, but the trend deserves more than lip service.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023
The word gets batted around a lot, but there’s little in Galliano’s unsympathetic demeanor in the interviews shot for High & Low to suggest much more than lip service.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Sep. 2023
But not every fashion brand is tackling the body image conversation head-on like Rihanna, and while there is a lot of lip service surrounding the topic, there is unfortunately still a long way to go.
—Charlie Teather, Glamour, 24 Aug. 2023
His frequent declarations of love for Detroit and Michigan weren’t just tour-stop lip service.
—Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 18 Aug. 2023
The survey suggests that many business leaders are either not pursuing climate-friendly goals, merely giving lip service to the environment, not communicating clearly with workers, or some combination of the above.
—Bylila MacLellan, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lip service.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1590, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near lip service
Cite this Entry
“Lip service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lip%20service. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
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