lip service
noun
: an avowal of advocacy, adherence, or allegiance expressed in words but not backed by deeds —usually used with pay
Example Sentences
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 Ultimately the implications of this case lie in whether the government offers lip service about responsibility or holds those responsible to account. 
Whitney Eulich, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Aug. 2022 Such experiences can be worth their weight in gold and stand as a demonstration that your respect for work-life balance is not just lip service. Mike Weinberger, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2022 The city pledged to hire on the Freedom House paramedics, says Moon, but that proved to be lip service. Jessica Geltstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2022 But the hapless and traditionally pitching-starved Angels, in free fall again this season, are not only paying lip service toward a culture change in their minor league system. New York Times, 15 July 2022 The images of nonprofit support by the tech industry are riveting, the marketing extensive and the lip service loud. Paige Francis, Forbes, 20 June 2022 Although the president still pays lip service to Lincoln and his legacy, he is politically aligned much more closely with Booth. Yasmeen Serhan, The Atlantic, 2 June 2022 The white dinner jackets are at the pump, trying to fill the tank at the lip service station. Nick Canepacolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2022 Álvarez offered lip service about the kind of challenge Bivol would present him but clearly didn’t mean it. Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2022 See More
Whitney Eulich, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Aug. 2022 Such experiences can be worth their weight in gold and stand as a demonstration that your respect for work-life balance is not just lip service. Mike Weinberger, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2022 The city pledged to hire on the Freedom House paramedics, says Moon, but that proved to be lip service. Jessica Geltstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2022 But the hapless and traditionally pitching-starved Angels, in free fall again this season, are not only paying lip service toward a culture change in their minor league system. New York Times, 15 July 2022 The images of nonprofit support by the tech industry are riveting, the marketing extensive and the lip service loud. Paige Francis, Forbes, 20 June 2022 Although the president still pays lip service to Lincoln and his legacy, he is politically aligned much more closely with Booth. Yasmeen Serhan, The Atlantic, 2 June 2022 The white dinner jackets are at the pump, trying to fill the tank at the lip service station. Nick Canepacolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2022 Álvarez offered lip service about the kind of challenge Bivol would present him but clearly didn’t mean it. Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1590, in the meaning defined above