bluff

Everyday

1. (verb) To pretend you are stronger, braver, cleverer or have better cards than you really do, to trick someone. tree →
2. (noun) A trick of pretending like this: «It was just a bluff.» tree →
3. (noun) A steep cliff or high bank, especially by a river or the sea. tree →
4. (adjective) Friendly and honest but rather direct and loud: «a bluff old farmer». tree →

In the lessons

In games like poker players bluff to win; in stories a hero bluffs past guards. «Call someone's bluff» means to make them prove what they claim. In geography a bluff is a steep slope by a river (common in the USA and Canada). Phrases: «call someone's bluff», «it's a bluff», «bluff your way through».

Examples

• He said he had a dog at home, but he was bluffing. tree →
• I called her bluff and she admitted she had no ticket. tree →
• In card games you can bluff to make others give up. tree →
• The house stood on a bluff above the river. tree →
• The guard believed the bluff and let them in. tree →
• Grandad is a bluff man who says what he thinks. tree →
• Don't try to bluff your way through the test; study! tree →
• Again the big red eagle appeared on the edge of the bluff. tree →

Note

Regular verb. Several unrelated meanings; context shows which. «Double bluff»: telling the truth so that people think you are lying.