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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of puffery
Vendor puffery may also be legal, but that means the IT customer needs a healthy skepticism of the typically too-good-to-be-true promises vendors make.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 23 Nov. 2025
The defendants have been described by one defense lawyer as being video gamers and recreational gun enthusiasts who were engaged in puffery, nothing else.
—Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Which is why, having failed to stop the coming spending cuts with preening puffery and shameless dishonesty, defenders of taxpayer dollars for public media have pulled out the last tool out of their political toolbox.
—Michael Graham, Boston Herald, 18 July 2025
That moment taught me the value of candor over puffery.
—Marc Stad, TIME, 16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for puffery
IEEE Spectrum, 23 Nov. 2025
The defendants have been described by one defense lawyer as being video gamers and recreational gun enthusiasts who were engaged in puffery, nothing else.
—Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Which is why, having failed to stop the coming spending cuts with preening puffery and shameless dishonesty, defenders of taxpayer dollars for public media have pulled out the last tool out of their political toolbox.
—Michael Graham, Boston Herald, 18 July 2025
That moment taught me the value of candor over puffery.
—Marc Stad, TIME, 16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for puffery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puffery
Noun
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United States Women’s National Team attacker Ally Sentnor came to the Kansas City Current in August with much hype and fanfare.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
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No matter what the hype, candles, sonic devices, and bracelets don’t keep mosquitoes away.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
18 June 2026
Noun
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El Money wanted publicity and was prepared to pay.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
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Eager to maintain their status as the primary branch of government, congressmen didn’t want to pay for the executive to go on a publicity tour.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
16 June 2026
Noun
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Learning Curve With the traditional TV advertising market in decline and streamers’ subscriber growth plateauing in some territories, closer alignment makes strategic sense, particularly given growing competition from YouTube.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
18 June 2026
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Named for the famous space program, these large fiberglass figures served as popular advertising icons and roadside decorations in the 1960s.—
Elizabeth Rhodes,
Travel + Leisure,
18 June 2026
Noun
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SpaceX advertisements are seen on a digital billboard on a building in Times Square to celebrate the launch of SpaceX's initial public offering (IPO) in New York on June 12, 2026.—
Luke Fountain,
CNBC,
12 June 2026
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Academy Award-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow is facing backlash after starring in an advertisement for a luxury Israeli real estate project.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puffery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puffery. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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