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
Oliver also isn’t a nihilist or a class warrior, despite paying lip service to the victimless nature of stealing from insured banks and stores.
—
Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025
The Smashing Machine particularly fails Dawn, whose frustrations get quite a bit of lip service but little depiction.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2025
Despite the administration’s lip service toward government efficiency, the policy change is threatening to be an administrative nightmare.
—Neale Mahoney, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
There is a greater good here that the people who make these decisions pay lip service to, but regularly ignore.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lip service
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Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025
The Smashing Machine particularly fails Dawn, whose frustrations get quite a bit of lip service but little depiction.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2025
Despite the administration’s lip service toward government efficiency, the policy change is threatening to be an administrative nightmare.
—Neale Mahoney, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
There is a greater good here that the people who make these decisions pay lip service to, but regularly ignore.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lip service
Cite this Entry
“Lip service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lip%20service. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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