I hope we’ll be able to bluff our way past the guard.bluff1 verbbluff2 nounbluff3 adjective
bluffbluff1 /blʌf/ verb [intransitive, transitive] 
WORD ORIGINbluff1
Origin:
1600-1700 Probably from Dutch bluffen ‘to boast, play a kind of card game’VERB TABLE
bluff
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | bluff |
| he, she, it | bluffs | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | bluffed |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have bluffed |
| he, she, it | has bluffed | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had bluffed |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will bluff |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have bluffed |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am bluffing |
| he, she, it | is bluffing | |
| you, we, they | are bluffing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was bluffing |
| you, we, they | were bluffing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been bluffing |
| he, she, it | has been bluffing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been bluffing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be bluffing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been bluffing |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- They're not bluffing when they say this could start a civil war.
- But Amanda knew him well enough to suspect that he might be bluffing.
- If he bids high, is he bluffing, or does he actually hold a strong hand?
- Remember the hands you were dealt, the full-house of love, the ace-high you bluffed on.
- The complexity arises when all players know how to bluff and double-bluff.
- The prospect of scaring off awkward media revelations will always provide a great temptation for Attorneys to bluff.
- This would be a pity if the Attorney were bluffing.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY ‘I was with Don,’ she said, deciding to bluff it out (=continue to pretend something).
to pretend something, especially in order to achieve what you want in a difficult or dangerous situation: (=go somewhere or succeed in doing something by deceiving someone) I hope we’ll be able to bluff our way past the guard.
I hope we’ll be able to bluff our way past the guard. ‘I was with Don,’ she said, deciding to bluff it out (=continue to pretend something). (=make someone do something by deceiving them)
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· They will have to fight or bluff their way through.· Jody keeps Sally in for twenty-three minutes, watching her pick up the offensive plays and bluff her way through the defense.· He'd tried to bluff and bully his way out of his terrible mistake, but Volkov wouldn't be intimidated.· It must be important for her to have driven all the way up north and bluff her way into his house.· But then most of us could probably bluff our way into a second division club with a bit of nous.· If she looked as though she knew what she was doing, she might just be able to bluff her way through.· Now her plan to bluff her way through had been reduced to a pitiful shambles.
You wouldn’t really tell her. You’re bluffing!bluff your way out of/through/past etc somebody/something (=go somewhere or succeed in doing something by deceiving someone) I hope we’ll be able to bluff our way past the guard. ‘I was with Don,’ she said, deciding to bluff it out (=continue to pretend something).bluff somebody into (doing) something (=make someone do something by deceiving them)bluff1 verbbluff2 nounbluff3 adjective
bluffbluff2 noun WORD ORIGINbluff2
Origin:
1-2 1800-1900 ➔ BLUFF13 1600-1700 ➔ BLUFF3EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Johnson said the threats were pure bluff.
- Working as a trader makes me sensitive to the little bluffs people use.
- Culley had climbed a small bluff and crouched down on his heels to clear the skyline.
- Dove slid down the rope, his feet skipping over the craggy face of the bluff toward the boy.
- From the interstate highway which runs nearby, nothing about this bluff looks any different from thousands of others.
- His bluff, finally, had been called.
- Most stayed, under the shadowy evergreens, among the tall sycamores and beeches on the bluff above the water.
- The trick is to live long enough to put your young bluffs to use.
- This was a game of bluffs and double bluffs.
- When some one calls your bluff, you best ignore him.
WORD SETS
abyss, nounalluvial, adjectivealluvium, nounalpine, adjectiveAmerican, adjectiveAntarctica, anticyclone, nounarchipelago, nounArctic, adjectivearid, adjectiveAsia, atlas, nounatoll, nounAustralasia, Australasian, adjectiveAustralia, avalanche, nounaxis, nounbank, nounbarometer, nounbarrier reef, nounbasin, nounbay, nounbayou, nounbeach, nounbearing, nounbed, nounbight, nounbluff, nounborder, nounborder, verbborderland, nounborderline, nounborough, nounbox canyon, nounBritish, adjectivebutte, nouncanyon, nouncape, nouncapital, nouncardinal point, nounCaribbean, adjectivecartography, nouncay, nounchain, nounchaparral, nounchart, nounchasm, nounchimney, nounChinese, adjectivecirrus, nounCIS, nouncliff, nounclimate, nounclimatic, adjectivecoastal, adjectivecoastline, nouncockney, nouncol, nouncold front, nouncommuter belt, nouncompass, nounconfluence, nouncontinent, nouncontinental, adjectivecontinental shelf, nouncontour, nounconurbation, nouncoordinate, nouncorridor, nouncorrie, nouncoterminous, adjectivecouncil estate, nouncountry, nouncounty, nouncounty town, nouncourse, nouncove, nouncrag, nouncraggy, adjectivecreek, nouncrevasse, nouncrevice, nouncumulus, nouncyclone, noundateline, noundelta, noundesert, noundesert island, noundevelopment, noundistrict, noundivide, noundown, adverbdune, noundust bowl, nouneast, nouneast, adjectiveeast, adverbeastbound, adjectiveeasterly, adjectiveeasterly, nouneastern, adjectiveEasterner, nouneasternmost, adjectiveeastwards, adverbelevation, nouneminence, nounenvirons, nounequatorial, adjectiveerode, verberosion, nounescarpment, nounestuary, nounEurope, nounextraterritorial, adjectiveeyot, nounface, nounfarmland, nounfeeder, nounfiord, nounfirth, nounfjord, nounflood plain, nounfluvial, adjectivefrontier, nounfrontiersman, noungale force, adjectivegap, noungeo-, prefixgeography, noungeophysics, noungeopolitics, noungeyser, nounglacial, adjectiveglaciation, nounglacier, nounglobe, noungoldfield, noungorge, noungrassland, nounGrecian, adjectivegreen belt, noungrid, noungrotto, noungroundwater, noungulch, noungulf, noungully, nounhead, nounheadland, nounheadwaters, nounheartland, nounhemisphere, nounhighland, adjectivehighlands, nounhigh water mark, nounhinterland, nounHome Counties, the, homeland, nounhurricane, noun-i, suffixIberian, adjectiveiceberg, nounice cap, nounice floe, nounice pack, nounice sheet, nouninhabitant, nouninland, adjectiveinland, adverbinlet, nouninner city, nouninshore, adverbinsular, adjectiveintercontinental, adjectiveInternational Date Line, nounisland, nounisle, nounislet, nounisobar, nounIsraeli, adjectiveIsraeli, nounisthmus, nounItalian, adjectiveItalianate, adjectiveItalo-, prefixJapanese, adjectivekey, nounknoll, nounlagoon, nounlake, nounlandlocked, adjectivelandmass, nounlandslide, nounlandslip, nounlat., Latin, adjectiveLatin America, nounLatin American, adjectivelatitude, nounlevee, nounlittoral, nounlong., longitude, nounlongitudinal, adjectivelough, nounlowlands, nounlow-lying, adjectivelow water mark, nounmagnetic north, nounmagnetic pole, nounmarsh, nounmarshland, nounmeander, verbMediterranean, adjectiveMercator projection, nounmeridian, nounmesa, nounMiddle America, nounmidtown, adjectivemonsoon, nounmoorland, nounmorass, nounmountain, nounmountainside, nounmountaintop, nounmouth, nounmudslide, nounmull, nounnarrows, nounnavigation, nounNE, neck, nounnor'-, prefixnorth, nounnorth, adjectivenorth, adverbNorth America, nounnortheast, nounnortheast, adjectivenortheasterly, adjectivenortheastern, adjectivenortheastwards, adverbnortherly, adjectivenorthern, adjectivenortherner, nounnorthernmost, adjectivenorthwards, adverbnorthwest, nounnorthwest, adjectivenorthwesterly, adjectivenorthwestern, adjectivenorthwestwards, adverbnotch, nounNW, NZ, oasis, nounoccidental, nounocean, nounonshore, adjectiveopenness, nounOrdnance Survey map, nounoriental, adjectiveoutcrop, nounoverspill, nounpack ice, nounpaddy, nounpalisade, nounpan-, prefixpanhandle, nounparallel, nounpeak, nounpeninsula, nounPersian, adjectivephysical geography, nounplain, nounplateau, nounpoint, nounpolar, adjectivepole, nounpolitical geography, nounpollutant, nounpop., populate, verbpopulation, nounprairie, nounprecipice, nounprecipitation, nounPrime Meridian, principality, nounprojection, nounpromontory, nounprovince, nounprovincial, adjectivepueblo, nounR, rainfall, nounrain forest, nounrain gauge, nounrainstorm, nounrange, nounravine, nounreef, nounreference, nounregion, nounregional, adjectiverelief map, nounreservoir, nounresettle, verbresidential, adjectiveresource, nounridge, nounrift valley, nounrise, verbriver, nounriver basin, nounriver bed, nounRoman, adjectiverotation, nounrugged, adjectiverun-off, nounrural, adjectivesand, nounsand bar, nounsandstorm, nounsandy, adjectivesavanna, nounScandinavian, nounscar, nounscarp, nounscree, nounscrubland, nounSE, seaboard, nounsea breeze, nounseafront, nounsea level, nounseaport, nounseaward, adjectivesection, nounsemitropical, adjectiveshelf, nounslough, nounsmog, nounsnowfield, nounsource, nounsouth, nounsouth, adjectivesouth, adverbSouth America, adjectivesoutheast, nounsoutheast, adjectivesoutheasterly, adjectivesoutheastern, adjectivesoutheastwards, adverbsoutherly, adjectivesouthern, adjectivesouthernmost, adjectivesouthwards, adverbsouthwest, nounsouthwest, adjectivesouthwesterly, adjectivesouthwestern, adjectivesouthwestwards, adverbspeleology, nounspit, nounspur, nounstrait, nounsubcontinent, nounsubtropical, adjectivesuburb, nounsuburban, adjectivesummit, nounsurvey, nounsurvey, verbSW, swamp, nountableland, nounterrain, nounterritory, nountidal, adjectivetidal wave, nountidewater, nountime zone, nountop, nountopography, nountor, nountornado, nountown, nountown centre, nountowpath, nountrack, nountract, nountrade route, nountrail, nountransatlantic, adjectivetranscontinental, adjectivetributary, nountropic, nountropical, adjectivetundra, nountyphoon, nounUK, the, uncharted, adjectiveup, adverbup-country, adjectiveuplands, nounupper, adjectiveupriver, adverbupstate, adjectiveupstream, adverbuptown, adverburban, adjectiveurbanized, adjectiveurban renewal, nounurban sprawl, nounUS, the, adjectivevalley, nounW, warm front, nounwaste, adjectivewasteland, nounwater, verbwatercourse, nounwaterfall, nounwaterfront, nounwaterhole, nounwatering place, nounwater meadow, nounwatershed, nounwater table, nounwaterway, nounweather vane, nounwest, nounwest, adjectiveWest, nounwestern, adjectiveWesterner, nounwesternmost, adjectivewestward, adverbwilderness, nounwolds, nounzoning, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Whatever you say, you must do it. This isn’t a game of bluff.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
1[countable, uncountable] an attempt to deceive someone by making them think you will do something, when you do not intend to do it: Whatever you say, you must do it. This isn’t a game of bluff.· And assuming, of course, the call wasn't a double bluff.
VERB· Lord Hill called his bluff by threatening to make public the reason why the programme could not be shown.· I said, calling his bluff.· When some one calls your bluff, you best ignore him.· Should I call his bluff and place the ball exactly where he was pointing?· When the drugs companies insisted on time to prepare a response, Judge Bernard Ngoepe called their bluff.· But you daren't take the risk of trying it on in case I was calling your bluff and would refuse you.· Dare they call her bluff and just let her get on with whatever she thought she could do to inconvenience them?· The students had called the authorities' bluff with their protests and shown solidarity across the country.
The threat was only a bluff. Whatever you say, you must do it. This isn’t a game of bluff. → double bluff2call somebody’s bluff to tell someone to do what they have threatened because you do not believe that they will really do it3[countable] a very steep cliff or slopebluff1 verbbluff2 nounbluff3 adjective
bluffbluff3 adjective a bluff person, usually a man, is pleasant but very direct and does not always consider other people: He was a bluff no-nonsense administrator.