lip service
noun
: an avowal of advocacy, adherence, or allegiance expressed in words but not backed by deeds
—usually used with pay
Examples of lip service in a Sentence
She paid lip service to blue-collar workers, but she did nothing to help them.
So far all we've gotten from him is lip service.
Recent Examples on the Web
This generation, however, demands tangible change, not just lip service, especially on critical issues that impact their countries, the world's future and their mental health.
—
Your Impact With Unicef Contributor, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
Where in the past the predominant parties would at least pay lip service by either demanding higher taxes or lower spending, that appears to be out the window in DC these days.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 24 July 2025
But at the end of the day, that's just lip service.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
Advertisement Advertisement Those aren’t new ideas, of course, but traditional medicine has only paid lip service to them.
—Alice Park, Time, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for lip service
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Your Impact With Unicef Contributor, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
Where in the past the predominant parties would at least pay lip service by either demanding higher taxes or lower spending, that appears to be out the window in DC these days.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 24 July 2025
But at the end of the day, that's just lip service.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
Advertisement Advertisement Those aren’t new ideas, of course, but traditional medicine has only paid lip service to them.
—Alice Park, Time, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for lip service
Cite this Entry
“Lip service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lip%20service. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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