as in blunt
being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner
he's a bluff but good-hearted teacher
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to fool
to cause to believe what is untrue
I bluffed the interviewer into believing that I could really speak French and thus would be the perfect person to serve in the newspaper's Paris bureau
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
the basketball player bluffed a shot, then passed instead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bluff
Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
Though the Explorer majors much more on practicality, somehow Ford has managed to turn a fairly bluff front-end styling and generally boxy silhouette familiar to properly sensible family SUV into an attractive design.
—WIRED, 21 Mar. 2023
Luke Harold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
Fog brushes the bluffs like a tide turned into vapor.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
Oil prices closed 1% lower as traders seem to believe the president is bluffing and the tariff won't really go into effect.
—Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bluff
Adjective
One day in 2010, an e-mail from Steve Wentzel, the Zimbabwean tycoon, arrived in the in-box of one of South Pole’s founders—a tall, bluff German man named Christian Dannecker.
—Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
Though the Explorer majors much more on practicality, somehow Ford has managed to turn a fairly bluff front-end styling and generally boxy silhouette familiar to properly sensible family SUV into an attractive design.
—WIRED, 21 Mar. 2023
Noun
Four phases of bluff stabilization that have taken place since 2003 between Coast Boulevard and Torrey Pines State Beach included more than 230 support columns, stabilization of headwalls and improved drainage.
—Luke Harold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
Fog brushes the bluffs like a tide turned into vapor.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
David Lerner, the mind behind MAGLYNX is not bluffing his way through buzzwords or chasing Silicon Valley validation.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
Oil prices closed 1% lower as traders seem to believe the president is bluffing and the tariff won't really go into effect.
—Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bluff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bluff
Adjective
-
And in Georgia, aggressive roll maintenance and steady Republican registration drives have helped the GOP blunt Democrats’ earlier gains and remain competitive in statewide contests.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Sep. 2025
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Moorjani plays Aruna, the Los Angeles Waves’ incredibly blunt star accountant who can finagle her way around any number of financial hurdles.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Mickey piloted the boat to the cliffs, dropped anchor, and the four of them swam to shore.—
David Wright Faladé,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Dramatic limestone cliffs ensure picture-perfect views at every turn, and, even in the height of summer, sweeping beaches ensure there's room for everyone on the sand.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The movie is based on the true story of British Intelligence operatives using unprecedented strategic operations to fool Nazi leadership and help change the course of World War II.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Don’t be fooled, there is intention.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Which is to say that to dream the impossible dream is one thing, but to pretend that its reality is quite another.—
Ed Simon
September 22,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Even the generative AIs that pretend to make new things today are merely regurgitating words, phrases, and pictures that were created and shared by people.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The actor's appeal will no doubt help Chad Powers draw viewers in — but those that stick around may be frustrated by the comedy's abrupt finale.—
Kristen Baldwin,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Sep. 2025
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The dismissal represented an abrupt end to a case with little recent precedent in Alameda County.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Perched on the eastern escarpment of the Great Rift Valley with the Ewaso Narok River to the east and the slopes of Mount Kenya to the south, andBeyond Suyian Lodge offers endless panoramic views and access to a wide variety of landscapes, from savannas to rivers and Vechellia woodlands.—
Rebekah Peppler,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Sep. 2025
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This park is all escarpments, rivers, and old forests.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Although Louverture had resigned from his position as governor-general of the colony in May, in June 1802 one of Leclerc’s generals tricked Louverture into a meeting, summarily arrested him, along with his wife and children, and then forced them all onto a ship destined for France.—
Marlene L. Daut
September 22,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
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On Tuesday, a federal judge will begin hearing the Federal Trade Commission’s case against Amazon that alleges the company intentionally used manipulative practices to trick customers into signing up for the Prime membership service, and knowingly complicated the cancellation process.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Agitated, anxious honeybees, on the other hand, responded with pessimism when researchers shook them to simulate a predatory attack.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
25 Sep. 2025
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The test was designed to simulate real traffic conditions with engineers embedding a series of sensors along the bridge to monitor stress, vibration and any deflection in the structure.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bluff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bluff. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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