1
a
: having a broad flattened front
a ship with bluff bows
b
: rising steeply with a broad flat or rounded front
the bluff banks of the river
2
: good-naturedly frank and outspoken
a bluff, easygoing fellow
bluffly
adverb
bluffness
noun
bluffed; bluffing; bluffs
1
2
card games
: to deceive (an opponent) by a bold bet on an inferior hand
was bluffed out of a winning hand
: to bluff someone : act deceptively
You can tell when he is bluffing.
bluffer
noun
1
a
: a false threat or claim intended to deter or deceive someone : an act or instance of bluffing (see bluff entry 3)
Having … nothing to support his pretensions he decided to put up a bluff.—
Sherwood Anderson
Sherwood AndersonHis boss called his bluff.
b
: the practice of bluffing
The agreement had been reached, after weeks of bluff and haggle …—Time
Time2
: one who bluffs
Synonyms
Adjective
Noun (1)
Verb
Examples of bluff in a Sentence
Adjective
he's a bluff but good-hearted teacher
Noun (1)
fossils embedded in a stone bluff that date from the Jurassic period
Verb
She says someone else has made her a higher offer, but I think she's bluffing.
Don't listen to his threats—he's just bluffing you.
I bluffed my way through the interview.
Recent Examples on the Web
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
Jim Euchner, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
With most interviews today conducted virtually, bluffing your way through the job interview has never been easier.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2024
Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024
At the eastern tip of the Hamptons on Long Island, the Stone House in Montauk sits on 3.2 secluded acres near the edge of a 70-foot bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bluff 
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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
Verb
Sensing deception takes human skill and incorporates unquantifiable things like the tension in the air, a knowledge of the past bluffing behavior of a particular opponent, and subtle tells (which may be subconsciously sensed more than explicitly identified).
—Jim Euchner, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
With most interviews today conducted virtually, bluffing your way through the job interview has never been easier.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
Good rattling/grunting setup: Wind in your face and rock bluff or stream at your back.
—Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024
At the eastern tip of the Hamptons on Long Island, the Stone House in Montauk sits on 3.2 secluded acres near the edge of a 70-foot bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bluff
Dictionary Entries Near bluff
Cite this Entry
“Bluff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bluff. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bluff
1 of 4 adjective1
: rising steeply with a broad front
a bluff coastline
2
: frank and outspoken in a good-natured manner
bluffly
adverb
bluffness
noun
bluff
2 of 4 noun
: a high steep bank : cliff
bluff
3 of 4 verb
: to deceive or frighten by pretending to have strength or confidence that one does not really have
bluffer
noun
bluff
4 of 4 noun1
a
: an act or instance of bluffing
b
: the practice of bluffing
2
: one who bluffs
Etymology
Adjective
from an obsolete Dutch word blaf "flat"
Verb
probably from Dutch bluffen "to boast"
Geographical Definition
Bluff
geographical name
town in southern New Zealand
Note: Bluff serves as the port for the city of Invercargill.
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