by word of mouth
Idioms-
see word of mouth.
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Orally, by one person telling another, as in They don't advertise; they get all their customers by word of mouth. [Mid-1500s]
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.
The first-generation underground churches of a half-century ago met in houses and undisclosed alleyway rooms, gathering by word of mouth.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025
Advertisements for his services seem to spread by word of mouth.
From BBC • May 1, 2025
Despite the loss, Andres Salazar’s clients have stepped in to help by advertising his situation on social media and by word of mouth.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2025
His debut, “The Color of Water,” a memoir about his white Jewish mother, Ruth, got off to a slow start but began spreading by word of mouth once it was out in paperback.
From New York Times • Mar. 23, 2024
Within a few minutes of the assassination, the news began spreading, first by word of mouth from Ford’s, then by messenger.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
