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
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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Balance out from all the casino hype with an indulgent treatment or power nap in the salt cave.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
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Tree House proves that sometimes the hype is deserved.—
Jim Dobson,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Noun
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Entry must be the original work of the entrant, may not have been previously published, may not have won previous awards, and must not infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or other rights of any person or entity.—
Tim McGovern,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
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That’s not really a money exchange, that’s more of a publicity exchange.—
Darian Symoné Harvin,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Shores said merchant ad grants are available to subsidize local merchant advertising.—
Joe Marusak
May 14,
Charlotte Observer,
14 May 2026
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Bonta pushes back against FIFA ticketing practices In his Wednesday letter to the federation, Bonta emphasized California’s consumer protection laws against unfair competition and false advertising.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
Noun
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The state’s political ethics watchdog is investigating the campaign of gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer and an influencer who boosted him online for potentially violating a state law on political advertisements.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
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The film exists partly as an advertisement for Firstman’s softer side.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puffery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puffery. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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