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
Relevance
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
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 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
Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 16 Feb. 2026
And by laying out his next big bet, Musk is essentially daring every other big tech company to call his bluff.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2025
Mulugheta, who employed a similar strategy with client Jalen Ramsey that successfully forced a trade during the 2019 regular season, does not come off as a man who cavalierly bluffs.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 29 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
Late last year, San Clemente officials voted to join a coalition with other coastal cities that are facing similar landslide threats and bluff failures.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 16 Feb. 2026
And by laying out his next big bet, Musk is essentially daring every other big tech company to call his bluff.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
On the second interception, Simmons said Delaware bluffed as if an all-out blitz was coming before falling back into coverage and making the pick.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2025
Mulugheta, who employed a similar strategy with client Jalen Ramsey that successfully forced a trade during the 2019 regular season, does not come off as a man who cavalierly bluffs.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bluff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bluff
Adjective
-
Tyler Perry loves his broad comedies, many revolving around his most enduring character, Madea, the blunt, street-smart, occasionally violent grandmother with a heart of gold.—
Rodney Ho,
AJC.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Reflecting on the changes in the industry, Harewood can be blunt.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
From Llombards, the path heads southwest along the cliffs, passing some of the island’s prettiest and most secluded calas, including Figuereta and Cala Marmols.—
Paul Richardson,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The arch was formed by centuries of harsh wind and high seas grinding away at the Calcarenite stone cliffs of Italy’s Puglia region, on the turquoise waters of the Adriatic Sea.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
What fools these non-OpenAI mortals must be.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Still, don’t be fooled by the light turnout.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When Game 3 of the 1917 World Series between the White Sox and New York Giants was rained out, Lardner was in New York and wrote a fictional column pretending the game had actually been played.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Led by the energetic Danny, the show take viewers on adventures to find pirate treasure, pretend to be superheroes, and fly like an airplane.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Mood Changes As many as four in 10 women report feeling abrupt moods that are similar to PMS during perimenopause.—
Jocelyn Solis-Moreira,
Flow Space,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The abrupt decision raised questions across federal agencies and drew attention from lawmakers and international observers.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As the sun dropped and the temperature fell, Scarabeo Roches Noires emerged on the horizon, a small cluster of white tents perched on a rocky escarpment.—
Fergus Scholes,
TheWeek,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Angama Mara, which opened in 2016 and sits on top of the Oloololo escarpment overlooking the Mara Triangle, comprises two camps.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Those kinds of intimate connections — along with their incredible skills, trick shots and fun-loving theatrics — have helped the Globetrotters prevail as a cultural staple for the past century.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Heathcliff has tricked Edgar’s sister, Isabella, into marrying him by pretending to love her.—
Becky Little,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The team now plans to develop more advanced models, including organoids that simulate chronic spinal cord injuries with long-standing scar tissue.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Relational commitments are simulated without persistence.—
Deb Roy,
The Atlantic,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bluff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bluff. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
