1
as in fooling
to cause to believe what is untrue
I bluffed the interviewer into believing that I could really speak French and thus would be the perfect person to serve in the newspaper's Paris bureau
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in assuming
to present a false appearance of
the basketball player bluffed a shot, then passed instead
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in pretending
Related Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bluffing
Verb
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James cuts back inside onto his right foot, fooling the defender, rather than going to the byline off his left foot.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025 -
Each plays a role in fooling their foe, who captures the turtle, while the deer, heeding the turtle’s good counsel, manages a sly escape.—
John Nemec,
The Conversation,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This prompt gives you enough talking points to contribute thoughtfully without pretending to be an expert.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Interspersed in the narrative, there are South Asian folktales about a jackal who is punished for pretending to be a king and a foolish man who puts all his eggs in a basket.—
Malaka Gharib,
NPR,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Along comes Brian’s duplicitous ex-wife Debrah (Taja V. Simpson), his nerdy son BJ (Jermaine Harris) and the groom Zavier (Xavier Smalls).—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
14 July 2025
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This is a duplicitous, murderous regime that isn’t interested in dialogue.—
Danielle Wallace , Beth Bailey,
FOXNews.com,
22 June 2025
Verb
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Instead of assuming what people want or need, AI and machine learning analyze actual data and recommend alternatives based on individual situations.—
Alison Coleman,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
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At the same time, Representative Newt Gingrich from Georgia was already in ascent, assuming the position of House Minority Whip in March 1989.—
Eli Amdur,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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There’s no question which member of Congress put on the year’s most hypocritical legislative performance.—
Carl P. Leubsdorf,
Twin Cities,
23 July 2025
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There’s just this hypocritical system in which there is demand for immigrant labor in many industries, along with demonization of these very contributors.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2025
Verb
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The show, hosted by actor Alan Cumming and set in a remote Scottish castle, features reality TV veterans and celebrities working together—and often deceiving each other—in challenges for a cash prize.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
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Augusta National will quickly expose even the most microscopic weakness in one’s game with its winding fairways and deceiving putting surfaces.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In addition to large-scale data theft, economic disruption, and intelligence breaches, quantum computers could be used for malicious purposes such as simulating and synthesizing chemical weapons or optimizing the flight trajectories of a swarm of drones.—
Charina Chou,
Foreign Affairs,
7 Jan. 2025
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Nvidia’s Omniverse allows users to put together world scenes digitally, simulating a physical environment.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The movie does not earn the right for such an insincere have-your-I-Heart-the-’90s-cake-and-eat-it-too gesture.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
16 July 2025
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King’s typical approach to the genre — gifted protagonists facing off against chilly government entities or insincere spiritual forces within a horror context — has fallen out of vogue in favor of comparable superhero origin stories with elevated skills and stakes.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
8 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Bluffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bluffing. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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