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 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 This column is dedicated to my late father, Dr. Subhash Jain, a dedicated physician, father, grandfather, and husband who always prioritized the real work of delivering great patient care over hype—and always pushed me to look beyond puffery in the development of my own perspectives. Sachin H. Jain, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 See All Example Sentences for puffery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puffery
Noun
  • At 42 percent off, now’s a great time to get in on the hype.
    Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Valuations of private firms can lack transparency and are often prone to subjective judgment, sometimes driven by market hype rather than fundamentals.
    Bhaskar Ahuja, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In his court filing this week, his defense attorney noted the high-profile publicity of Villatoro Santos's case.
    Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Yet even at the time, the scandal was baked into the publicity.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • For now, goods are subject to import taxes, not programming services, but the tariffs will raise consumer prices, pinching pocketbooks, and may lead to softer advertising.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Other sellers are experimenting with price increases, cutting back on advertising or gradually importing merchandise to avoid drastic financial impacts of tariffs, instead of bowing out of Prime Day completely.
    Arriana McLymore and Greg Bensinger, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • By using the tag, businesses and other organizations can later target advertisements on LinkedIn to consumers that have already shown interest in their products or services.
    CalMatters, Mercury News, 28 Apr. 2025
  • That meant, officially at least, no advertisements, gifts or cuts of merchandise sold by schools, even jerseys with their name on the back.
    Cornell Watson, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Puffery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puffery. Accessed 2 May. 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!