razzle-dazzle
Americannoun
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showiness, brilliance, or virtuosity in technique or effect, often without concomitant substance or worth; flashy theatricality.
The razzle-dazzle of the essay's metaphors cannot disguise its shallowness of thought.
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Chiefly Football. deceptive action typically consisting of a series of complex maneuvers, as a double reverse or hand-off, usually executed in a flashy manner.
a team relying more on power and speed than razzle-dazzle.
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confusion, commotion, or riotous gaiety.
He thrived on the lights, the crowds, the razzle-dazzle of the Las Vegas Strip at night.
adjective
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impressively opulent or decorative, especially in a new way; showy; flashy; eye-catching.
a shopping center lined with razzle-dazzle boutiques.
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energetic, dynamic, or innovative.
razzle-dazzle technology; a razzle-dazzle sales pitch.
noun
Etymology
Origin of razzle-dazzle
First recorded in 1890–95; rhyming compound based on dazzle
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.
Williams’s rally in the second set felt like a flash of the old razzle-dazzle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
"The Fast and the Furious" will be screened in a midnight slot later in the day, bringing some Hollywood razzle-dazzle to Cannes where US studios are notably absent.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
Pitchfork said “her music’s never been less compelling,” while The Guardian called the album “dull razzle-dazzle from a star who seems frazzled.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2025
But the Director’s Fortnight, an independent sidebar showcase where films outside of the Cannes competition premiere, offers a glimpse at worthy films that might not have the same razzle-dazzle as the festival proper.
From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2025
The successors to both Wari and Tiwanaku combined the former’s organizational skills and the latter’s sense of design and razzle-dazzle.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
