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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for puffery
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
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
See All Example Sentences for puffery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puffery
Noun
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The news conference did not live up to the hype.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
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Obviously there’s a lot of hype around him and a lot of stories and so forth.—
Eric Olson,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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At other points, Siegal turned to Epstein for advice on everything from a dispute over her inheritance to untangling her personal finances to dealing with a rival to her publicity business.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
10 Feb. 2026
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As described in section 7, Participants may be asked to complete a publicity release.—
Time,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The use of advertising cookies sent by third-party servers is common on the Internet.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
6 Feb. 2026
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Others were created for advertising or to make a political statement.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But, first, the filmmaker is directing Russell in Michelob ULTRA’s new Super Bowl advertisement, which also happens to star Maverick’s very own Pullman.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Feb. 2026
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The move comes as the company plans to run an advertisement during Super Bowl 60 on Sunday.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puffery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puffery. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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