Meaning & use
clickbaiting
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Meaning
noununcountabledisapproving
The practice of writing sensational headlines or images to lure people into clicking on a link, often for ad revenue.
Grammar: No article is needed in general statements: clickbaiting is common on social media.
Patterns
- clickbaiting by someone
- accused of clickbaiting
Readers criticized the site for clickbaiting with exaggerated headlines.
Clickbaiting tricks viewers into watching videos that never deliver what the title promises.
The editor banned clickbaiting after complaints about misleading titles.
Common combinations
- accused of clickbaiting
- The blogger was accused of clickbaiting after the misleading post went viral.
- tired of clickbaiting
- I am tired of clickbaiting in my news feed.
- stop clickbaiting
- The magazine promised to stop clickbaiting and focus on facts.
- clickbaiting headlines
- Clickbaiting headlines often end with a question mark.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sensationalism
- Sensationalism is a broader term for exciting readers with shocking claims, while clickbaiting aims specifically at clicks online.
- hype
- Hype means excessive promotion of anything, and clickbaiting focuses on headlines and links.
- baiting
- Baiting means provoking someone, whereas clickbaiting means tempting them to click.
Word family
Commonly confused: clickbaiting or phishing?
clickbaiting vs phishing
Phishing is an attempt to steal personal information, whereas clickbaiting only tries to attract traffic.
Practice
A website uses a shocking headline that the article never explains. What is this practice called?
Choose one answer.
Clickbaiting is luring people with misleading or sensational headlines. The other terms describe unrelated activities.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “clickbaiting”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.