word-of-mouth

1 of 2

adjective

Synonyms of word-of-mouthnext
: orally communicated
also : generated from or reliant on oral publicity
word-of-mouth customers
a word-of-mouth business

word of mouth

2 of 2

noun phrase

: oral communication
especially : oral often inadvertent publicity

Synonyms of word-of-mouth

Examples of word-of-mouth in a Sentence

Adjective not having the money to run ads, the restaurant relies on word-of-mouth publicity
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Since forming in upstate New York’s historic Woodstock community in 2017, the band had grown a steady word-of-mouth following. Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 15 June 2026 The acquisition extends the international reach of a film that has become a word-of-mouth phenomenon in the Middle Kingdom. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 June 2026
Noun phrase
Gay people found each other, by either word of mouth or the back pages of QNotes Carolinas, a local LGBTQ newspaper, and congregated in those areas. Charlotte Observer, 22 June 2026 In subsequent weeks, the movie, bolstered by positive word of mouth, has continued to perform well. Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 14 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for word-of-mouth

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1817, in the meaning defined above

Noun Phrase

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of word-of-mouth was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Word-of-mouth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/word-of-mouth. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

word of mouth

: spoken communication
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