bluff 1 of 3

bluff

2 of 3

noun

as in cliff
a steep wall of rock, earth, or ice fossils embedded in a stone bluff that date from the Jurassic period

Synonyms & Similar Words

bluff

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word bluff distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of bluff are blunt, brusque, crusty, curt, and gruff. While all these words mean "abrupt and unceremonious in speech and manner," bluff connotes good-natured outspokenness and unconventionality.

a bluff manner

When can blunt be used instead of bluff?

The meanings of blunt and bluff largely overlap; however, blunt suggests directness of expression in disregard of others' feelings.

a blunt appraisal

When is it sensible to use brusque instead of bluff?

While the synonyms brusque and bluff are close in meaning, brusque applies to a sharpness or ungraciousness.

a brusque response

When might crusty be a better fit than bluff?

Although the words crusty and bluff have much in common, crusty suggests a harsh or surly manner sometimes concealing an inner kindliness.

a crusty exterior

When would curt be a good substitute for bluff?

The words curt and bluff can be used in similar contexts, but curt implies disconcerting shortness or rude conciseness.

a curt command

When could gruff be used to replace bluff?

In some situations, the words gruff and bluff are roughly equivalent. However, gruff suggests a hoarse or husky speech which may imply bad temper but more often implies embarrassment or shyness.

puts on a gruff pose

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
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
But the notion that the two-state solution can be prevented by this or that settlement or some Israeli declaration has always been a bluff—and those recognizing Palestine today are calling it. Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2025 Weyman needed geological tests to ensure the stability of his bluff-top lot. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 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
  • So began a campaign that fused blunt political messaging with bighearted moving images—a sensibility not unlike that of Nair’s films.
    Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The running back's response was blunt, even if not necessarily concise.
    Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • From the Call of the Canyon parking area in Oak Creek Canyon, hikers cross a shaggy meadow, then follow the creek into verdant forests beneath high cliffs.
    Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Close to 600 appearances were made in a playing career that spanned 20 years, but a fall from the cliff edge was something Baker was not prepared for.
    Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Do not let the dashing green velvet suit, the yellow leather gloves, the silk cravat or the pencil-thin mustache, a tonsorial touch that suggests the matinee idols of yesteryear, fool you.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
  • But don’t be fooled into thinking that’s the norm.
    Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The one approach that never works is to pretend that the behavior isn’t happening.
    Susan Caminiti, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Those people have pretended to be censored and had a really hard time, like their speech is being taken away, but they’re being paid millions of dollars by the richest people in the world to protect the status quo.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • In September 2024, Jane’s Addiction came to an abrupt and explosive end during a Boston concert when Farrell punched guitarist Dave Navarro onstage, an incident that resulted in the reunion tour’s immediate cancellation, the band breaking up, and now a pair of lawsuits.
    Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Ross said she was unexpectedly forced to make the jump into indie producing with House in 2016 after her tenure as chief executive at the National Theatre in London came to an abrupt end.
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • This park is all escarpments, rivers, and old forests.
    Daniel Scheffler, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Hackers often use look-alike domains to trick you into thinking the site is real.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Hackers are using the messaging app Telegram and fake websites that impersonate brands to trick users into installing the malware, which will masquerade as popular apps, including TikTok, YouTube, and Google Photos.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Two of the Dodgers’ other important relievers coming into the season, Kirby Yates and Michael Kopech, spent Tuesday throwing simulated at-bats to hitters instead of being on the active roster.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Today, superconducting circuits are used to study fundamental quantum physics, to simulate other physical systems and to test protocols for ultraprecise sensing.
    Eli Levenson-Falk, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bluff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bluff. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

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