Recent Examples on the Web

Still, Seldom Seen is a real mover, not a political poseur like Jesse Jackson, Danny Glover, Cornel West, and Chuck D, who display their frustration ineffectually by pinning their hopes on Bernie Sanders. Armond White, National Review, "Kansas City: Belafonte’s Greatest Political Lecture on Film," 11 Mar. 2020

As the zero-waste concept gains steam, there will inevitably be poseurs, or restauranteurs aiming to tap an eco-conscious customer base without putting in the real work. Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, "The Rise of ‘Zero-Waste’ Restaurants," 16 Mar. 2020

Yet Hollywood has turned away from laconic tough guys toward newcomers such as Bruce Lee, an arrogant little poseur who picks a fight with Cliff while bragging about his own prowess. Kyle Smith, National Review, "The Shocking Right-Wing Tinge of Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood," 13 Dec. 2019

Near the Luce Foundation Center on the third floor of the Smithsonian American Art Museum at 7th and F Streets, muralist Kelsey Montague created a cheeky panda bearing posies and perfectly poised for Instagram poseurs. Beth Py-lieberman, Smithsonian, "14 Fun Facts About Giant Pandas," 10 Aug. 2019

Another new toy in the film, a daredevil motorcyclist from Canada called Duke Caboom, is voiced by Keanu Reeves, and proves to be a charming poseur. Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, "‘Toy Story 4’ Review: Once Again, With Joy and Deep Feeling," 20 June 2019

The plot is fueled by arch archetypes that infuriate the main character, Alceste, who prides himself on telling these poseurs the truth, no matter the cost. Nelson Pressley, Washington Post, "‘A Misanthrope’ brings Molière’s fabulous fakes into the 21st century," 5 June 2019

This is not to say that all of the nineties’ non-black hip-hop devotees were poseurs, or that sincere hip-hop fans cannot grow up to be lawyers. Rebecca Schuman, Longreads, "It’s Like This and Like That and Like What?," 2 May 2018

Facebook’s ranking in the Apple App Store went up after #deletefacebook went viral, probably from refusenik poseurs reinstalling the app after deleting it. Susan Crawford, WIRED, "Mark Zuckerberg Plays the Scapegoat for Our Facebook Sins," 17 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'poseur.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.