Bluffing
to mislead by a display of strength, self-confidence, or the like:
He bluffed me into believing that he was a doctor.
to gain by bluffing:
He bluffed his way into the job.
Poker. to deceive by a show of confidence in the strength of one’s cards.
to mislead someone by presenting a bold, strong, or self-confident front:
That open face makes it impossible for him to bluff.
an act or instance or the practice of bluffing:
Her pathetic story was all a bluff to get money from us. His assertive manner is mostly bluff.
a person who bluffs; bluffer:
That big bluff doesn’t have a nickel to his name.
call someone’s bluff, to expose a person’s deception; challenge someone to carry out a threat:
He always said he would quit, so we finally called his bluff.
Contemporary Examples
Obama’s Poker Club Tells All Randall Lane December 7, 2010
‘You Have 30 Seconds’: The Real Captain Phillips’s Gripping Memoir Captain Richard Phillips, Stephan Talty October 10, 2013
Bibi’s Three Steps Forward, One Back Trita Parsi October 10, 2012
What Politicians Can Learn at the World Series of Poker Jonathan Miller July 12, 2013
Obama Must Show He’ll Use Military Means to Deter Russia in Ukraine Leslie H. Gelb March 29, 2014
Historical Examples
The Gold Bag Carolyn Wells
The Death-Traps of FX-31 Sewell Peaslee Wright
Biltmore Oswald J. Thorne Smith, Jr.
The Grammar School Boys Snowbound H. Irving Hancock
The Cab of the Sleeping Horse John Reed Scott
verb
to pretend to be confident about an uncertain issue or to have undisclosed resources, in order to influence or deter (someone)
noun
deliberate deception intended to create the impression of a stronger position or greater resources than one actually has
call someone’s bluff, to challenge someone to give proof of his claims
noun
a steep promontory, bank, or cliff, esp one formed by river erosion on the outside bend of a meander
(Canadian) a clump of trees on the prairie; copse
adjective
good-naturedly frank and hearty
(of a bank, cliff, etc) presenting a steep broad face
n.
v.
n.
see: call someone’s bluff
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