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
Zak Doffman, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
Although many at first wondered whether his threats of tariffs were a bluff and his suggestion that the U.S. absorb Canada was a joke, there is a growing sense that he must be taken seriously.
—Kate Linthicum and Denis Calnan Los Angeles Times (tns), arkansasonline.com, 16 Feb. 2025
Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 19 Jan. 2025
Business leaders in Mexico hope Trump is bluffing about tariffs.
—Lyna Bentahar, New York Times, 29 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
To use a poker analogy, Apple has called the UK’s bluff against a glare of negative publicity.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
Although many at first wondered whether his threats of tariffs were a bluff and his suggestion that the U.S. absorb Canada was a joke, there is a growing sense that he must be taken seriously.
—Kate Linthicum and Denis Calnan Los Angeles Times (tns), arkansasonline.com, 16 Feb. 2025
Verb
Or Trump could merely be using the threats as a negotiating tactic, essentially bluffing.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 19 Jan. 2025
Business leaders in Mexico hope Trump is bluffing about tariffs.
—Lyna Bentahar, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bluff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bluff
Adjective
-
Trump’s disruptive and at times blunt methods brought us here.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN,
11 Mar. 2025
-
Palico's attacks with blunt weapons do not inflict stun and exhaust damages.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Hiking trails begin to open, offering panoramic views of deep blue fjords set against emerald-green meadows and towering cliffs, although care must be taken underfoot.—
David Nikel,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
-
The tiny bar occupies a grotto carved into the cliff by San Rocco residents for protection from bombing during World War II.—
Gina DeCaprio Vercesi,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Do not be fooled by this bill’s carve-out for masks worn for health and religious reasons.—
Nikki Morse,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Mar. 2025
-
This pair looks like a classic trouser, with front pleats and a relaxed leg — but don’t be fooled.—
Genevieve Cepeda,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
In most fields workers are prone to deny a problem and even pretend to enjoy the abuse.—
James L. Edwards III,
The Athletic,
13 Mar. 2025
-
None of this was quite as extraordinary as Barnes liked to pretend.—
Susan Tallman,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The abrupt cutoff of funds has led to a scramble to pay for food for malnourished children in Sudan, health care for refugees from Myanmar, and maternal health services in Yemen.—
Chen Reis,
The Conversation,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Cool, calm weather can extend the length of the bloom, and a rainy, windy day can bring an abrupt end to the ephemeral blossoms.—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA TODAY,
20 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
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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
-
Increasingly, criminals are able to use commonly available tools to launch sophisticated phishing scams, going as far as digitally replicating faces and voices in order to trick security systems.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Phishing is a cyber-attack that aims to trick people into divulging personal information.—
Solcyré Burga,
TIME,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Taiwan's largest annual war games, held to simulate responses to a possible Chinese invasion, will publicly assume a full-scale attack for the first time in 2027.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
-
From simulating the flow of people, goods, utilities and other life support systems to predicting emergency impacts, digital twins provide a vital, real-time lens into urban complexities.—
Timothy Papandreou,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bluff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bluff. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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