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

Relevance

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 puffery This is where the focused music hall puffery of the production helps. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 22 Apr. 2024 That conclusion may sound preposterously quaint to some, unwelcome advice to a few, ridiculous puffery or an impossible goal to still others. David Baldacci, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024 Most mentions of Florida were mere puffery, with little indication of what DeSantis intends to accomplish. Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2024 When the subject is not the movies but matters of the Middle East, the consequences of this sleight of hand are far graver than some dubious promotional puffery. Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2024 See All Example Sentences for puffery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puffery
Noun
  • Lina Thomas, commodities strategist with Goldman Sachs Research, said in a video posted on Thursday the swelling price of gold is more than hype.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
  • And the spirit squad had to deliver to match the hype.
    Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Angry at the whole situation, including the publicity.
    Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
  • An offhand comment can invite negative publicity.
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In October 1982, Milwaukee Journal staff writer Mike Kupper used that Major League Baseball advertising slogan to summarize the mood of the city's baseball fans.
    Elaine Rewolinski, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025
  • The spot was produced by Reynolds’ Maximum Effort advertising and production company, which Variety is assured did not use any generative-AI technology for the finished product.
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Vought and his colleagues toured the country, whipping up the grass roots, and poured millions of dollars into advertisements and lobbying.
    Andy Kroll, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Users said on social media that although videos were not playing or showing as nonexistent, video clips of advertisements were still active on the platform.
    Melina Khan, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Puffery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puffery. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!