bluffing

American

[bluhf-ing] / ˈblʌf ɪŋ /

noun

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

deceiving or misleading someone by a display of strength or confidence.

Determining whether one faces a serious or bluffing adversary constitutes a major challenge in the bargaining process.
“Advertising budget” is a poker term for the amount of chips a bluffing player is willing to invest to deceive opponents.

Other Word Forms

unbluffing adjective

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.

The game is open and there is no scope for bluffing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 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

Beneath all the bluffing lies a determination of credibility.

From Slate • Nov. 20, 2025

“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

To a certain extent, Conant was bluffing, for the rising concern in Washington and the scientific community about a possible German bomb made an allied effort seem imperative, regardless of the prospects of success.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023