1
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
it turned out that the ballyhoo was the result of a movie being filmed on the street
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hype
information released to the media that is designed to gain public attention or support for a person, business, or cause
the usual ballyhoo intended to fill the seats at megaplexes around the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to advertise
to praise or publicize lavishly and often excessively
that reviewer always ballyhoos any book by one of his pet authors
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to promote
to provide publicity for
the TV networks usually spend the summer months ballyhooing their new fall shows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ballyhoo
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
The whole 50th ballyhoo led up to an all-star three-plus hour anniversary show that premiered Sunday (naturally), February 16.
—Rance Collins, IndieWire, 9 Aug. 2025
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 11 Dec. 2025
Nuclear energy was ballyhooed back in the 1930s as a way to feed the world.
—Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ballyhoo
Noun
The chefs have clearly helped Miami diners expand their palates, serving unusual dishes that could potentially make diners uneasy, like the ballyhoo, which Martinez said should return to the menu once the season starts in a few weeks.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
The whole 50th ballyhoo led up to an all-star three-plus hour anniversary show that premiered Sunday (naturally), February 16.
—Rance Collins, IndieWire, 9 Aug. 2025
Verb
And Jennifer Maas previews The Game Awards to explain how the event has grown into the Oscars for video games by blending kudos and ballyhoo.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 11 Dec. 2025
Nuclear energy was ballyhooed back in the 1930s as a way to feed the world.
—Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ballyhoo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballyhoo
Noun
-
Linderbaum, a Pro Bowl selection in each of the past three seasons, signed a three-year, $81 million deal with the Raiders at the start of free agency, which added additional intrigue to the commotion surrounding Baltimore’s abandonment of the Crosby trade.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Could hear what sounded like gunshots or commotion.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The science behind why your brain feels rebooted afterward is finally catching up to the hype.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Mount Rushmore Seeing Mount Rushmore in person lives up to the hype.—
Midwest Living,
Midwest Living,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Because the Eastern Conference is as wide-open as it was advertised at the beginning of the season.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
However, Howdy’s distribution strategy appears to have helped build momentum, as Howdy was initially only available through Roku and heavily advertised to the Roku base of more than 100 million streaming households.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Yankees are expected to promote a reliever in his place on Monday.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The walk is open to anyone who wants to come together to promote lung health and help raise funds for research, advocacy and treatments.—
Marcella Baietto,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But since that ridge shifted from Northern California in early April, the new pattern has invited multiple low-pressure disturbances into the region.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
About 4% of those students — or roughly 300,000 students — are labeled with emotional disturbance.—
Laurie Stern,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Surely, the film options and large print runs and book clubs and publicity campaigns will follow!—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The executive director of Child Care Aware of Minnesota, a nonprofit that serves childhood educators, said the publicity will be unflattering.—
Mark Vancleave,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His latest work, The Hills of California, was critically acclaimed on Broadway and in the West End.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2026
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Today, the album is still regarded as one of the most influential and critically acclaimed projects of the 21st century, often cited for redefining the visual album format and reshaping modern pop and R&B storytelling.—
Caché McClay,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Introduced in the 1970s, Roundup quickly became the top-selling herbicide in the United States and integral to farming.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
So was the Biden administration’s decision to block Nvidia from selling its most advanced AI chips to China in 2022.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ballyhoo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballyhoo. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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