as in hype
information released to the media that is designed to gain public attention or support for a person, business, or cause
the newspaper's local stories are often thinly disguised puffery for area businesses
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of puffery
That moment taught me the value of candor over puffery.
—
Marc Stad, TIME, 16 Dec. 2024
The defense also has claimed that prosecutors are casting commonplace entrepreneurial puffery as a crime and singling out Watson, a Black founder in a tech world where African American executives have been disproportionately few.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 13 June 2024
But overall, there should be a substantial amount of sizzle — or at least copious amounts of hot air and puffery — coming from next week’s upfront presentations.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 10 May 2024
This is where the focused music hall puffery of the production helps.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 22 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for puffery
Marc Stad, TIME, 16 Dec. 2024
The defense also has claimed that prosecutors are casting commonplace entrepreneurial puffery as a crime and singling out Watson, a Black founder in a tech world where African American executives have been disproportionately few.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 13 June 2024
But overall, there should be a substantial amount of sizzle — or at least copious amounts of hot air and puffery — coming from next week’s upfront presentations.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 10 May 2024
This is where the focused music hall puffery of the production helps.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 22 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for puffery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puffery
Noun
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After all, when placed on a marquee, this punctuation mark signifies that a film will contain an exceptional array of excitement, thrills, and shock, heightening our expectations — as well as our disappointment when (as often happens) the hype isn’t delivered.—
Rachel Simon,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
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Because after all, despite a bottle’s availability or the hype surrounding it, that is the most important thing.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In court, Kayumi’s lawyer, Michael Arthus, pointed to the extensive publicity surrounding the case and asked that prosecutors avoid saying anything that could prejudice potential jurors.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
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Kayumi’s lawyer, Michael Arthus, pointed in court to the extensive publicity surrounding the case and asked that prosecutors avoid saying anything that could prejudice potential jurors.—
Jake Offenhartz,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Pulling out of the remaining markets saved Amos enough money to launch his company’s first national advertising campaign, and with it, the Aflac duck.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
6 Mar. 2026
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Casino operators and tourism officials have traveled North to reassure Canadian leaders, Las Vegas’ mayor publicly begged them to return last year and Las Vegas’ tourism bureau is stepping up advertising in major Canadian markets.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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However, these picture-perfect images are often dismissed as advertisements that ignore the far less glamorous issues in the destination, including human rights abuses.—
Tamara Hardingham-Gill,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
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Campaigns and organizations supporting — or opposing — the Senate candidates are required to disclose some information in advertisements.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puffery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puffery. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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