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

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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
  • Clients respond to credibility, not hype, so influence must be earned through reputation rather than borrowed from others.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
  • So McDonald’s is going all out with the Snack Wrap hype.
    Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • Baldoni denied the allegations and filed a countersuit in January alleging defamation and extortion against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicity team.
    Benjamin VanHoose, People.com, 22 May 2025
  • That was a big moment, that was a big lump of publicity.
    Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
Noun
  • More than 3 billion people use one of Meta’s apps daily, and the company makes billions of dollars every quarter from advertising.
    Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2025
  • In 2012, Nielsen reported that 92% of consumers trusted personal recommendations over traditional advertising.
    Jaime Hintz, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • Copywriters work on a range of projects such as social media posts, blog articles, website copy and advertisements.
    Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
  • Consider the countless emails people write, the slide decks strategy consultants prepare and the advertisements that suffuse social media feeds.
    Wolfgang Messner, The Conversation, 2 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Puffery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puffery. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.

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