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
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
Everyone—whether teachers pressed to overvalue standardized test scores, or journalists working in the clickbait mines—can see this.
—Harper's Magazine, 2 Sep. 2024
But this is slightly edged out on a laugh-per-second basis by this zany, sci-fi dystopian short, which uses sentimental clickbait as a diving board for its damning AI use case.
—Vulture Staff, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024
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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
Everyone—whether teachers pressed to overvalue standardized test scores, or journalists working in the clickbait mines—can see this.
—Harper's Magazine, 2 Sep. 2024
But this is slightly edged out on a laugh-per-second basis by this zany, sci-fi dystopian short, which uses sentimental clickbait as a diving board for its damning AI use case.
—Vulture Staff, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clickbait
Dictionary Entries Near clickbait
Cite this Entry
“Clickbait.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clickbait. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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