lip service

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.

He told the three-judge panel that the court must not pay "lip service" to human rights, adding that the right to criticise state organs is protected by China's constitution.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

It would be nice to see us actually celebrate the First Amendment instead of giving lip service to it.

From Salon • May 1, 2026

If the music world is decamping from London again this week, then it needs to "give back to the community", she adds, and not just pay it "lip service".

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Fifty years of lip service to self-determination for Greenland doesn’t add up, if it ever did.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

It is not enough to give lip service and to believe in equal pay: there has to be a conversion, from the heart.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood