1
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
it turned out that the ballyhoo was the result of a movie being filmed on the street
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hype
information released to the media that is designed to gain public attention or support for a person, business, or cause
the usual ballyhoo intended to fill the seats at megaplexes around the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to acclaim
to praise or publicize lavishly and often excessively
that reviewer always ballyhoos any book by one of his pet authors
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to promote
to provide publicity for
the TV networks usually spend the summer months ballyhooing their new fall shows
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 ballyhoo
Rebecca Messina, The Week Uk, theweek, 30 Dec. 2024
At this point, The Rock already had one foot out the door toward Hollywood, and the win would matter less in his career than the overall ballyhoo of the match.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 18 July 2024
For all the ballyhoo about the total solar eclipse this past April, the event didn’t stir up much in the way of conspiracy thinking.
—Eric Olson, Washington Post, 7 July 2024
Curiously, there seemed to be no VIP or movie star ballyhoo; instead, as The Times wrote, the inaugural passengers on the north-to-south trip were 150 L.A.-area schoolkids.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for ballyhoo
Noun
Having been pretty much unanimously declared the loser of the verbal ballyhoo, Drake has since taken the feud down a different avenue – accusing record label Universal Music of illicitly boosting the track on streaming services and radio.
—Rebecca Messina, The Week Uk, theweek, 30 Dec. 2024
At this point, The Rock already had one foot out the door toward Hollywood, and the win would matter less in his career than the overall ballyhoo of the match.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 18 July 2024
For all the ballyhoo about the total solar eclipse this past April, the event didn’t stir up much in the way of conspiracy thinking.
—Eric Olson, Washington Post, 7 July 2024
Curiously, there seemed to be no VIP or movie star ballyhoo; instead, as The Times wrote, the inaugural passengers on the north-to-south trip were 150 L.A.-area schoolkids.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for ballyhoo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballyhoo
Noun
-
After 'tremendous commotion,' Cassie screamed, 'Isn't anybody seeing this?' Some of the most compelling testimony has come from former Combs former personal assistant, George Kaplan.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
29 May 2025
-
Video footage from that day shows commotion and ICE agents entangled with members of Congress and their staff.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
13 May 2025
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
Verb
-
On stage, Harris is acclaimed on both sides of the Atlantic.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
29 May 2025
-
Both films were critically acclaimed, with the former receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay and the latter for Best Adapted Screenplay.—
Jeremy Hanna,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
Verb
-
Pollard was promoted to be executive vice president in 1980 and then president and chief operating officer in 1981 before he was named ServiceMaster’s CEO in 1983, succeeding Wessner.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
7 June 2025
-
But on one March evening, these hulking installations were just a backdrop: Goose, and 1,000 of its most ardent fans, descended on the space for a special event promoting the ascendant Connecticut jam band’s new album, Everything Must Go (released April 25).—
Lyndsey Havens,
Billboard,
6 June 2025
Noun
-
Additionally, those with restrictive calorie diets reported higher numbers of depressive symptoms, including low mood, low energy and sleep disturbances.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
5 June 2025
-
Even minor environmental disturbances can attract intense scrutiny and provoke strong reactions, making the industry more susceptible to reputational damage than many others.—
Anthony Milewski,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Noun
-
The layoffs impact teams in film and TV marketing, TV publicity and casting and development.—
Ali McCadden,
CNBC,
5 June 2025
-
Poarch received national publicity for connecting on the tournament-winning goal and an opportunity to play for the indoor Baltimore Blast in the Major Arena Soccer League.—
Michael Lewis,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
Just a short drive from Reykjavik, the Golden Circle is advertised as an ideal route for first-time visitors or anyone short on time.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
-
Available drugs were advertised on these apps in stories that disappeared within 24 hours and in posts that were removed after a certain amount of time, according to the federal agency.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2025
Verb
-
According to the announcement from the FDA, the affected H&C Farms tomatoes were distributed between April 23-28, 2025, and then packaged and sold to distributors and wholesalers in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
4 June 2025
-
It has been ported to several consoles and has sold more than 23 million copies globally in the time since.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ballyhoo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballyhoo. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share