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
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Recent Examples of puffery
This is where the focused music hall puffery of the production helps.
—
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 22 Apr. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for puffery
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 22 Apr. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for puffery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puffery
Noun
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While the hype has reached an all-time high, the Hoosiers are still far away from reaching their goal.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
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There’s Xi Jinping mogging Bibi Netanyahu while deafeningly aggro phonk bludgeons away; hype montages paint Marx as history’s greatest theorist and pair Zohran Mamdani quotes with Playboi Carti Die Lit cuts.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Once Mercury and Mars enter Sagittarius and your 10th house of publicity, your professional life picks up, presenting new opportunities for growth.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
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The trial was moved from Sangamon County to Peoria County due to extensive media publicity.—
Deena Zaru,
ABC News,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Although the advertising business still isn’t large enough to require the company to disclose its sales, management expects its revenue to more than double from last year.—
Fortune Editors,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
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Disney plans to hold three different events as part of its upfront sales process, guiding advertisers through its ad-tech, sports offerings and overall content slate as the company gears up to sell advertising for its first Super Bowl in more than two decades.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Trump made the announcement on Truth Social after the Canadian province of Ontario began running a television advertisement in the United States featuring a speech from former President Ronald Reagan.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
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There were even staged advertisements placed all over the arena, like familiar signage such as a Jiffy Lube ad that were all remixed with the SP5DER branding.—
Essence,
Essence,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puffery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puffery. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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