bluff

A self-assured broadcaster, critical and competitive, having his bluff called, being invited to not just talk about it, but to be about it: Walk the walk, why don’t you?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

“And he doesn’t bluff, either. What he does is groom us. He prepares us for things that would otherwise be unthinkable.”

From Salon ● May 26, 2026

Administration officials fielded phone calls from executives and political allies trying to decipher whether Trump’s threat was a bluff or a prelude to an escalation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026

Or it could be some combination of bluff and wishful thinking.

From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2026

“C’mon, Manchee,” I say and I head back across the burned-out settlement, back to the bluff.

From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness

Separately on Thursday, the inquiry heard how Mr Williams had referred to a former sub-postmaster and campaigner, Tim McCormack, as a "bluffer" in a 2015 email.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2024

He was a bluffer, implying he advised people he didn’t, and a leaker, ratting out his allies in pursuit of his own agenda.

From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2016

A bluffer, a gambler… he’d rather do it the hard way.

From New York Times ● Feb. 29, 2012

He'd been a bit of a bluffer at his first musical conservatoire.

From The Guardian ● Nov. 23, 2010

Now let's see if our friend is really a bluffer or a fighter.

From Around the World in Ten Days by Fraser, Chelsea Curtis

Biggest and bluffest of the four executive vice presidents is balding, 61-year-old Marvin E. Coyle, known as "Mr. Facts & Figures."

From Time Magazine Archive

Preparatory work had been done by a committee headed by Arthur Balfour Baron Riverdale of Sheffield, 62, one of Britain's biggest, baldest, blondest, bluffest steel tycoons.

From Time Magazine Archive

In his bluffest and heartiest way Blake refused to hear of such a thing.

From Love Eternal by Haggard, Henry Rider

At this stroke the man began to get angry; he frowned, and in his bluffest tone, began: "Look here now, you—" "Ta, ta, ta," interrupted M. Lecoq.

From The Mystery of Orcival by Gaboriau, Émile

Among the latter may be classed Karl Steinmetz—the bluffest of the bluff—innocent even of his own innocence.

From The Sowers by Merriman, Henry Seton

Liccardo also asked for nearly $1 million in promised funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for a handrail project on the pier and an additional $9 million to protect coastal bluffs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

Then CRG turned south to Festus, nestled near limestone bluffs and densely forested hilltops.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026

It was the culmination of a series of feints and bluffs in the preceding hours and days as the former reality TV star kept the world guessing.

From Barron's ● Feb. 28, 2026

But she made a beeline back to the coast, settling in the craggy bluffs outside desirable Topanga.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 17, 2025

I didn’t say, Hey, want to head to the bluffs? or Let's get out of here for a while.

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely

Later, when sent to a chemical plant, he volunteered to work as a welder and bluffed his way through a quiz designed to test his qualifications.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026

He bluffed, saying he had no debit card.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025

Somehow, whether Judge wanted to stay all along and bluffed the Yankees into a bigger offer or whether the star was really considering other pitches, Cashman was unfazed by Wednesday morning.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 7, 2022

Graham Paddison, of David Duggleby Auctioneers in Scarborough who are selling the lot, said that Mr Hill "bluffed" his way into the room where the Beatles were talking to the press.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2022

Okay, she often bluffed and implied all sorts of things I knew weren’t true.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

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

Some said war was all but inevitable, while one salesman who gave his name as Mehdi predicted the negotiations would succeed, saying: "The Americans are bluffing."

From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026

"We aren't bluffing or joking - we don't have a purpose media wise we are only for money and money only and one of our main managers wanted me to reach out to you."

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2025

Benji couldn’t tell if she was bluffing, but he wasn’t willing to take a chance.

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty