1
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
it turned out that the ballyhoo was the result of a movie being filmed on the street
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hype
information released to the media that is designed to gain public attention or support for a person, business, or cause
the usual ballyhoo intended to fill the seats at megaplexes around the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to acclaim
to praise or publicize lavishly and often excessively
that reviewer always ballyhoos any book by one of his pet authors
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to promote
to provide publicity for
the TV networks usually spend the summer months ballyhooing their new fall shows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ballyhoo
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2025
Having been pretty much unanimously declared the loser of the verbal ballyhoo, Drake has since taken the feud down a different avenue – accusing record label Universal Music of illicitly boosting the track on streaming services and radio.
—Rebecca Messina, The Week Uk, theweek, 30 Dec. 2024
At this point, The Rock already had one foot out the door toward Hollywood, and the win would matter less in his career than the overall ballyhoo of the match.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 18 July 2024
For all the ballyhoo about the total solar eclipse this past April, the event didn’t stir up much in the way of conspiracy thinking.
—Eric Olson, Washington Post, 7 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for ballyhoo
Noun
But could all this ballyhoo sap interest in his work?
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2025
Having been pretty much unanimously declared the loser of the verbal ballyhoo, Drake has since taken the feud down a different avenue – accusing record label Universal Music of illicitly boosting the track on streaming services and radio.
—Rebecca Messina, The Week Uk, theweek, 30 Dec. 2024
At this point, The Rock already had one foot out the door toward Hollywood, and the win would matter less in his career than the overall ballyhoo of the match.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 18 July 2024
For all the ballyhoo about the total solar eclipse this past April, the event didn’t stir up much in the way of conspiracy thinking.
—Eric Olson, Washington Post, 7 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for ballyhoo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballyhoo
Noun
-
Play was delayed for several minutes when a spectator needed medical attention after Alcaraz noticed the commotion in the stands.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
30 June 2025
-
There followed a small commotion of friendliness—apologies, laughter—after which we were led to our seats and sent a free passion-fruit donut.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
29 June 2025
Noun
-
If Manning lives up to the hype, the Longhorns could very well make a national championship run.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 June 2025
-
Flamengo has lived up to the hype in this year’s Club World Cup, winning Group D after impressive victories over Chelsea and Esperance Sportive de Tunis and a draw after the Brazilian side had already clinched advancement to the knockout stage.—
Andre Fernandez,
Miami Herald,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
Japanese video games are highly acclaimed around the world.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
3 July 2025
-
Notably, the album was recorded in Music City's iconic RCA Studio A and will feature critically acclaimed, touring, rootsy country favorite Tyler Childers, among many others.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Verb
-
Topline The Trump administration sued the city of Los Angeles on Monday, claiming its policy limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts promotes attacks on law enforcement, the latest legal battle centered around the L.A. protests against federal deportation raids.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
-
Target has tapped the promotional strategy frequently in recent years, cutting or maintaining prices on important seasonal categories such as toys or Thanksgiving meal supplies, while also promoting lists of related items as falling under a certain amount.—
Glen Luke Flanagan,
Fortune,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
The data is normalized, de-duplicated and time-aligned in real time, ensuring that every heart-rate spike or sleep disturbance immediately informs the AI risk models.—
Gil Press,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
-
The whales are facing a number of threats, including declining quantity and quality of prey, toxic pollution and disturbance from vessel noise, according to the Marine Mammal Commission.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
DeSantis may be favoring the attorney for publicity, overtime and experience for a brighter political or legal future.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 June 2025
-
Proceeding with trial as scheduled will likely avoid negative consequences from future publicity.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
Accredited veterans service organizations such as the VFW or the Legion will help vets free of charge, but private companies are advertising and posting online, trying to get vets to pay them for the same service.—
Quil Lawrence,
NPR,
26 June 2025
-
Some companies don’t advertise their job openings, so ask around.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva Homes for sale on the market are now taking longer to sell, to the point that many sellers are increasingly offering price reductions in order to close a deal.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 June 2025
-
The condo sold to Le Mignot in late January for its listing price.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ballyhoo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballyhoo. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share