Meaning & use
shill
A person who publicly praises or promotes something, often secretly paid, to deceive others into buying or believing it.
See it in a sentence
The company was accused of hiring online shills to post glowing but fake product reviews.
At the auction, a shill in the crowd kept bidding up the price to trick real buyers.
A note on using this word
Shill is almost always used disapprovingly, implying dishonesty or a hidden financial interest behind an apparently independent endorsement.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. verb
To promote or endorse something, especially dishonestly or for secret payment.
Several influencers were caught shilling a cryptocurrency without disclosing they were paid.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “shill”, then compare your use with the examples above.