bluffing
Americannoun
-
the act of misleading someone by a display of strength, self-confidence, or the like.
While the bluffing goes on at the negotiating table, the public, the striking workers, and the employer all lose.
-
Poker, Bridge. the act of deceiving an opponent by a show of confidence in the strength of one’s cards.
The digital version of the game falls short, because the bluffing needs that eye-to-eye contact, the smug and knowing smiles.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bluffing
First recorded in 1845–50; bluff 2 ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun senses; bluff 2 ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective sense
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.
Kids know if you’re bluffing, so do not make a threat that you’re not willing to carry though.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
Those who remain alive might well be bluffing, projecting resolve even if they would privately prefer to sue for peace.
From Slate ● Mar. 26, 2026
Mehdi, a 58-year-old salesman believes the opposite, saying that "the Americans are bluffing" and that "the negotiations will be 100% successful".
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
“It’s like a kind of global entry, but with a different possibility, considering that a lot of the time I’m not exactly bluffing it, but I’m trying my best to make this work.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025
He knows from years of playing Texas Hold’em with G’ma that whistling is her bluffing tell.
From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
