: orally communicated
also
: generated from or reliant on oral publicity
word-of-mouth customers
a word-of-mouth business
: oral communication
especially
: oral often inadvertent publicity
Examples of word-of-mouth in a Sentence
Adjective
not having the money to run ads, the restaurant relies on word-of-mouth publicity
Recent Examples on the Web
Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
So the comic book adaptation needs serious staying power — strong reviews and great word-of-mouth would be helpful — to avoid a similar box office fate and qualify as a hit for Marvel, which has greatly struggled with commercial consistency over the past five years.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 22 July 2025
Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2025
Through blasts on social media and word of mouth, the program grew to about 30 volunteers and 25 students.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for word-of-mouth
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Adjective
Yet digital adoption in this space remains surprisingly limited—a 2023 Thumbtack survey found that nearly 70% of service providers still rely primarily on word-of-mouth or repeat business rather than digital ads or marketplaces to acquire new customers.
—Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
So the comic book adaptation needs serious staying power — strong reviews and great word-of-mouth would be helpful — to avoid a similar box office fate and qualify as a hit for Marvel, which has greatly struggled with commercial consistency over the past five years.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 22 July 2025
Noun phrase
Infinity Castle’s three-day opening gross came in approximately 19 percent ahead of Mugen Train’s equivalent debut, suggesting the latest installment could be on course for another historic run, depending on word of mouth and staying power.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2025
Through blasts on social media and word of mouth, the program grew to about 30 volunteers and 25 students.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for word-of-mouth
Cite this Entry
“Word-of-mouth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/word-of-mouth. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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