puffery

noun

puff·​ery ˈpə-f(ə-)rē How to pronounce puffery (audio)
: exaggerated commendation especially for promotional purposes : hype

Examples of puffery in a Sentence

the newspaper's local stories are often thinly disguised puffery for area businesses
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
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 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 See All Example Sentences for puffery

Word History

First Known Use

1731, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of puffery was in 1731

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Puffery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puffery. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

Legal Definition

puffery

noun
puff·​ery ˈpə-fə-rē How to pronounce puffery (audio)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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