as in blunt
being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner
he's a bluff but good-hearted teacher
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to fool
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
the basketball player bluffed a shot, then passed instead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bluff
Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
Though the Explorer majors much more on practicality, somehow Ford has managed to turn a fairly bluff front-end styling and generally boxy silhouette familiar to properly sensible family SUV into an attractive design.
—WIRED, 21 Mar. 2023
Dennis Ross, Foreign Affairs, 3 Feb. 2025
President Donald Trump again reiterated his plan to impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting this weekend, but Wall Street still seems willing to call his bluff.
—Jesse Pound, CNBC, 31 Jan. 2025
Lyna Bentahar, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024
Mexican industry was confronted with a high-stakes question: Was Mr. Trump bluffing, hoping the threat would pressure the Mexican government to halt the movement of people and drugs toward the border?
—Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 28 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bluff
Adjective
One day in 2010, an e-mail from Steve Wentzel, the Zimbabwean tycoon, arrived in the in-box of one of South Pole’s founders—a tall, bluff German man named Christian Dannecker.
—Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
Though the Explorer majors much more on practicality, somehow Ford has managed to turn a fairly bluff front-end styling and generally boxy silhouette familiar to properly sensible family SUV into an attractive design.
—WIRED, 21 Mar. 2023
Noun
But Iran needs to know that the threat of force is not an Israeli bluff.
—Dennis Ross, Foreign Affairs, 3 Feb. 2025
President Donald Trump again reiterated his plan to impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting this weekend, but Wall Street still seems willing to call his bluff.
—Jesse Pound, CNBC, 31 Jan. 2025
Verb
Business leaders in Mexico hope Trump is bluffing about tariffs.
—Lyna Bentahar, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024
Mexican industry was confronted with a high-stakes question: Was Mr. Trump bluffing, hoping the threat would pressure the Mexican government to halt the movement of people and drugs toward the border?
—Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 28 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bluff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bluff
Adjective
-
Alsup, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, has presided over many high-profile cases and is known for his blunt talk.—
JANIE HAR THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
arkansasonline.com,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Justin Bieber let fans in on his smoke break Thursday (Feb. 27), with the star sharing a carefree video of himself enjoying what appears to be a blunt or cigar while jamming out to Don Toliver on Instagram Stories.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Even Baby boomers are backing off alcohol a bit, with seltzers/sparkling up 13% and fruit juices edging up 1%, as beer drops 7%, spirits slide 12%, wine plummets 15%, and soft drinks fall off the cliff by 16%.—
Louis Biscotti,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
-
The value of Donald Trump’s cryptocurrency, a meme coin aptly called $TRUMP, has fallen off a cliff – and its investors have lost around $12 billion.—
George Nelson,
ARTnews.com,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Look for the producer, grape variety, region, and vintage, and don’t be fooled by flashy words.—
Emily Price,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Also, unlike its many imposters (and there are many similar looking wireless lamps out there, so don’t be fooled), the Poldina comes with a 1-year warranty on the battery and a 2-year warranty for any defects.—
Wilder Davies,
Bon Appétit,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Too many leaders pretend to listen, nodding along in meetings but failing to take action.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Pride, drama, politics There’s no point in pretending AFCON is perfect.—
Phil Hay,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The abrupt methodological switch to the CPM resulted in over $9 billion worth of section 482 allocations and deficiencies of about $3.4 billion for the three-year period.—
Ryan Finley,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
-
Gradually ease off the accelerator and avoid abrupt braking to prevent skidding.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
The Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The rim is a 1,200-foot-tall escarpment that rises dramatically above a broad valley, giving you the perfect perch for spotting the show.—
Graham Averill,
Outside Online,
3 Mar. 2025
-
During that time, the rover traveled about 1.2 miles along escarpments researchers believe were once part of an ocean shore 4 billion years ago.—
Monica Cull,
Discover Magazine,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Phishing works by tricking the user, with no reliance on any particular operating system or browser.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Here are some alternative snacking options that can help trick your brain into feeling full.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
These chemicals are all housed in their own little capsules inside the e-Taste device, and released in different combinations and concentrations to simulate different foods.—
Michael Irving,
New Atlas,
3 Mar. 2025
-
The right-hander will throw one inning and simulate more in the bullpen.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
1 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bluff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bluff. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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