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
Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on the shores of Lake Michigan features miles of sand beach, lush forests, clear inland lakes, unique flora and fauna, towering bluffs, an island lighthouse, coastal villages, picturesque farmsteads and more.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2025
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
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
Filmmaking is blind instinct, petty calculations, smooth generalship, daydreaming, pig-headedness, grace, bluff, risk.
—Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on the shores of Lake Michigan features miles of sand beach, lush forests, clear inland lakes, unique flora and fauna, towering bluffs, an island lighthouse, coastal villages, picturesque farmsteads and more.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
But Zelensky said Wednesday that the Russian leader was bluffing.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for bluff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bluff
Adjective
-
The right’s defense is equally blunt.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Hosts often want to hint that the evening is wrapping up without being blunt.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Construction fell off a cliff after the housing bubble burst over a decade ago and never really recovered.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
-
In Zumaia, Ermita de San Telmo, an iconic stop on the Camino de Santiago, is a 16th-century church perched on the rocky Flysch cliffs made famous in Game of Thrones.—
Michelle Arellano Martin,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The officials were fooled, ruling it incomplete.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Don’t let the domesticity fool you, however.—
Katie Rife,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
However, Cena outsmarted him by grabbing the chair, throwing it next to Dom, and pretending to be down on the mat.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
-
In the 43-part series, Monroe calls several churches and other places of worship pretending to be a mother in need of formula for her baby.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
While some of these chains have faced ongoing issues, others are experiencing abrupt downturns after enjoying recent periods of strength — with no turnaround in sight.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Nearly 7 million people on Medicare use telehealth services every year to see their doctors, but the federal shutdown put an abrupt halt on payments covering those services.—
Yuki Noguchi,
NPR,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Tries a first flight from the escarpment, a learner breeze across the valley, and realises – wow!—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
For a break from the bustle, locals head to the Edge of the World, a dramatic escarpment about an hour’s drive from downtown that drops into an endless stretch of desert.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Mulching too early traps heat and tricks plant roots to remain active and produce new growth.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The barely believable but entirely true story saw gay rights activists trick their way into the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster, London by dressing plainly and conservatively – one even went as far as dressing as nun, while another donned the garbs of a bishop.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The site can be used to simulate flight environments that can be used for hypersonic weapon development, according to a university notice.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Advertisement The August 2025 report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, argued that states should prohibit the use of drills that simulate an active shooter being in the school, as well as sensorial drills.—
Alana Semuels,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bluff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bluff. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share