lip service
noun
: an avowal of advocacy, adherence, or allegiance expressed in words but not backed by deeds
—usually used with pay
Examples of lip service in a Sentence
She paid lip service to blue-collar workers, but she did nothing to help them.
So far all we've gotten from him is lip service.
Recent Examples on the Web
Paying lip service to alternatives while embracing fiber as a default setting will waste public funds and endanger statewide delivery of high-speed internet.
—
Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 7 May 2024
Almost all business leaders pay lip service to the idea of flexibility.
—Ram Charan, Fortune, 7 May 2024
The goal targeted a destination beyond lip service.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 May 2024
Disappointed by many developing countries’ refusal to take serious steps to penalize Russia for its aggression in Ukraine, U.S. and European officials have started to pay new lip service to concerns of this group of states.
—Comfort Ero, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2024
Of course, the challenge here is finding interventions that actually work, rather than just offering platforms a way to pay lip service.
—Jessica Schleider, STAT, 1 Apr. 2024
There will be the occasional pop of Loewe, but Markle will still pay lip service to all-American brands—Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch—to stay in line with her new company ethos.
—Alice Newbold, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2024
Either way, their lack of lip service could be damaging their career prospects.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 21 Mar. 2024
Talk of values in such firms is often no more than lip service.
—Steve Denning, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024
Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 7 May 2024
Almost all business leaders pay lip service to the idea of flexibility.
—Ram Charan, Fortune, 7 May 2024
The goal targeted a destination beyond lip service.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 May 2024
Disappointed by many developing countries’ refusal to take serious steps to penalize Russia for its aggression in Ukraine, U.S. and European officials have started to pay new lip service to concerns of this group of states.
—Comfort Ero, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2024
Of course, the challenge here is finding interventions that actually work, rather than just offering platforms a way to pay lip service.
—Jessica Schleider, STAT, 1 Apr. 2024
There will be the occasional pop of Loewe, but Markle will still pay lip service to all-American brands—Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch—to stay in line with her new company ethos.
—Alice Newbold, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2024
Either way, their lack of lip service could be damaging their career prospects.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 21 Mar. 2024
Talk of values in such firms is often no more than lip service.
—Steve Denning, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lip service.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lip service
Cite this Entry
“Lip service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lip%20service. Accessed 13 May. 2024.
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