clickbait
noun
click·bait
ˈklik-ˌbāt 
: something (such as a headline) designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest
It is difficult to remember a time when you could scroll through the social media outlet of your choice and not be bombarded with: You'll never believe what happened when … This is the cutest thing ever … This the biggest mistake you can make … Take this quiz to see which character you are on … They are all classic clickbait models.—
Emily Shire
Emily ShireExamples of clickbait in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
My advice is to make every effort to escape your echo chamber, resist reading Reddit, and by all means ignore the clickbait on social media from companies claiming to have the secret formula to being admitted to highly selective colleges.
—Brennan Barnard, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Malicious apps often have clickbait, vague, or poorly written descriptions.
—Alex Vakulov, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Since the content is not monetized, and the site accepts no advertising, the articles rarely devolve into mere clickbait.
—Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2025
Jacket by Issey Miyake, Pants and gloves by Yori, Tank Top by Calvin Klein, Hat by Kapital
The internet music landscape is a cyclone of constant clickbait nowadays, where people treat every micro-beef like a world war and make jokes out of serious issues.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 12 Feb. 2025
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Brennan Barnard, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Malicious apps often have clickbait, vague, or poorly written descriptions.
—Alex Vakulov, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Since the content is not monetized, and the site accepts no advertising, the articles rarely devolve into mere clickbait.
—Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2025
Jacket by Issey Miyake, Pants and gloves by Yori, Tank Top by Calvin Klein, Hat by Kapital
The internet music landscape is a cyclone of constant clickbait nowadays, where people treat every micro-beef like a world war and make jokes out of serious issues.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clickbait
Cite this Entry
“Clickbait.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clickbait. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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