clickbait
noun
click·bait
ˈklik-ˌbāt 
: something (such as a headline) designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest
It is difficult to remember a time when you could scroll through the social media outlet of your choice and not be bombarded with: You'll never believe what happened when … This is the cutest thing ever … This the biggest mistake you can make … Take this quiz to see which character you are on … They are all classic clickbait models.—
Emily Shire
Emily ShireExamples of clickbait in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jacket by Issey Miyake, Pants and gloves by Yori, Tank Top by Calvin Klein, Hat by Kapital
The internet music landscape is a cyclone of constant clickbait nowadays, where people treat every micro-beef like a world war and make jokes out of serious issues.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 12 Feb. 2025
Amid the madness and tension of the most recent presidential-election campaign, a wild form of clickbait video started flying around the political internet.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2025
The label became ingrained in hip-hop history with classic music and lore that breeds clickbait stories 20 years after its dissolution.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2025
This issue generates a lot of clickbait stories, but despite retailers adjusting their policies and many new technology approaches getting deployed with the aim of both reducing the incidence and cost of handling returns, very little progress is being made.
—Steve Dennis, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clickbait
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Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 12 Feb. 2025
Amid the madness and tension of the most recent presidential-election campaign, a wild form of clickbait video started flying around the political internet.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2025
The label became ingrained in hip-hop history with classic music and lore that breeds clickbait stories 20 years after its dissolution.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2025
This issue generates a lot of clickbait stories, but despite retailers adjusting their policies and many new technology approaches getting deployed with the aim of both reducing the incidence and cost of handling returns, very little progress is being made.
—Steve Dennis, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clickbait
Cite this Entry
“Clickbait.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clickbait. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.
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