grandstanding

American

[gran-stan-ding, grand-] / ˈgrænˌstæn dɪŋ, ˈgrænd- /

noun

the act or practice of behaving or performing in a showy way in an attempt to impress others.

With nearly 14 million unemployed, this grandstanding over such a comparatively small retraining program (only 10,000 people) is downright insulting.

adjective

being or engaging in this kind of behavior or performance.

It’s a nice, quiet movie—no guns or car chases, no grandstanding actors, and not too fast-paced.

Etymology

Origin of grandstanding

First recorded in 1895–1900; grandstand ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; grandstand ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

grandstanding

In fact, they also create ample opportunity for disruption, grandstanding and subterfuge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

Previous versions have often been sleepy affairs with more backslapping and grandstanding than serious policy action.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

Instead, officials “chose grandstanding instead of the normal process” and arrested Williamson at home Wednesday, despite her being seriously ill and in need of a liver transplant, Scott said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2025