clickbait

American  

[klik-beyt] / ˈklɪkˌbeɪt /

noun

1. a sensationalized headline or piece of text on the internet designed to entice people to follow a link to an article on another web page.

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adjective

1. noting or relating to such internet content.

   Clickbait articles contribute to the online visibility of the news website.

Usage

What does clickbait mean? Clickbait describes misleading internet content or shocking headline titles that aim to drive traffic to a website.

Etymology

Origin of clickbait

First recorded in 1995–2000; click ¹ (in the computer sense) + bait

Example Sentences

On its surface, the controversy appears like absurd clickbait — a grown man breathlessly informing audiences that activists sometimes engage in activism.

From Salon • May 20, 2026

The template-driven format resembles the output of content mills that mass-produce made-up clickbait stories, said digital literacy expert Mike Caulfield.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

Tell me you’ll walk away from clickbait and focus on sober, steady governing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

It is similar to its internet cousin clickbait, where a headline is used to lure a reader in to view an article or video.

From BBC • Nov. 30, 2025

When dictators become celebrities and their atrocities become clickbait, they are almost beyond satire, which makes them especially dangerous.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 10, 2025