clickbait
noun
click·bait
ˈklik-ˌbāt 
: something (such as a headline) designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest
It is difficult to remember a time when you could scroll through the social media outlet of your choice and not be bombarded with: You'll never believe what happened when … This is the cutest thing ever … This the biggest mistake you can make … Take this quiz to see which character you are on … They are all classic clickbait models.—
Emily Shire
Emily ShireExamples of clickbait in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Other times, once-popular sites whose domains were sold and repurposed by clickbait farms have been highlighted by Google.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2025
And in this age of clickbait journalism, even those members of the legacy media have resorted to libelous headlines and false reports to generate views.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 24 Mar. 2025
Content is simply there, clogging up the arteries of streaming services and clickbait sites, offering up buffets of empty calories and almost instant amnesia.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
My advice is to make every effort to escape your echo chamber, resist reading Reddit, and by all means ignore the clickbait on social media from companies claiming to have the secret formula to being admitted to highly selective colleges.
—Brennan Barnard, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clickbait
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Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2025
And in this age of clickbait journalism, even those members of the legacy media have resorted to libelous headlines and false reports to generate views.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 24 Mar. 2025
Content is simply there, clogging up the arteries of streaming services and clickbait sites, offering up buffets of empty calories and almost instant amnesia.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
My advice is to make every effort to escape your echo chamber, resist reading Reddit, and by all means ignore the clickbait on social media from companies claiming to have the secret formula to being admitted to highly selective colleges.
—Brennan Barnard, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clickbait
Cite this Entry
“Clickbait.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clickbait. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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