How to Use for show in a Sentence

for show

idiom
Definition of for shownext
  • Most of the buildings are just for show with a few props inside.
    — Libertina Brandt and Katherine Clarke, WSJ, 1 Dec. 2022
  • Role of carrier strike groups The big guns are not just for show.
    — Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Oct. 2023
  • For many of their owners these cars aren’t just for show of for weekend jaunts.
    — Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 16 Jan. 2023
  • But worst of all, the federal death penalty is just for show.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 28 Oct. 2021
  • The idea is to avoid displaying things purely for show.
    — Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2023
  • Decor should withstand and be part of the activity of a home; rooms aren't just for show.
    — Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2023
  • Head-to-toe black tailoring was the go-to look for show goers this season.
    — Vogue, 12 July 2022
  • The other corgis were all one to two years [old], but they'd never been trained at all except for show dogs.
    — Dan Snierson, EW.com, 22 Nov. 2022
  • Make sure that these aren't just for show but are platforms where real change can be birthed from any level.
    — Daniyal Zafar, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
  • But that meeting was simply for show, a fact clear to anyone watching.
    — Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
  • Still, the way to the nomination is via delegates, and so the Feb. 6 primary is just for show.
    — Mark Murray, NBC News, 17 Oct. 2023
  • It’s been a getaway for show business people for almost as long.
    — Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2022
  • That honor belonged to rock-hard short-rib tacos served on an unlit tabletop grill for show.
    — Mike Sutter, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Sep. 2021
  • The Police Department said its mandate wasn’t just for show.
    — Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2022
  • Though the woven buckle is just there for show, its comfortable faux leather straps will keep your feet firmly in place all day and night.
    — Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 1 Aug. 2023
  • Even more ingenious, the eye-catching, billowing roofs are not just for show.
    — Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 30 Apr. 2022
  • This move is mostly for show ahead of the big debate with regulators today.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023
  • Social media jumped in, even suggesting the announcement was all for show.
    — Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 10 Feb. 2023
  • Critics say Russia’s elections are mostly just for show.
    — Keir Simmons, NBC News, 14 Dec. 2023
  • A certain amount of it is necessary for transportation purposes, but much of it is just for show, with no way to opt out of being in the audience.
    — Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 22 Nov. 2021
  • The tech giant is receiving $25 million in state incentives for show, which stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
    — Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2023
  • Though some might be more comfortable with an air kiss or hug, hanging mistletoe (even for show) is one of the oldest Christmas traditions out there.
    — Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2023
  • These modes aren't just for show, either; there are demonstrable differences in each setting.
    — Andrew Krok, Car and Driver, 6 July 2023
  • Now Édouard Louis will repeat that validation for show after show, tour stop after tour stop.
    — Helen Shaw, Vulture, 22 May 2022
  • In American suburbs spawned in the post-war era, sidewalks largely existed for show.
    — Jeffrey Steele, Forbes, 21 June 2022
  • This calls into serious question whether other forms of radar can detect the boats, too, and whether or not their stealthy lines are actually just for show.
    — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 27 Oct. 2021
  • Any pretense of a corporate response is just for show, and everyone seems to understand that except for Shiv.
    — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2021
  • Inside, homes often have two kitchens: one for show that always stays in Instagrammable shape, while a prep kitchen elsewhere is where the actual cooking takes place.
    — Cameron Sperance, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Jan. 2023
  • When the dacoits whip out their weapons — mostly hammers and knives meant more for show than inflicting actual harm — the passengers start to panic.
    — Peter Debruge, Variety, 6 Oct. 2023
  • Artists display their paintings, photography and sculpture for show and sale.
    — Hartford Courant, 6 May 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'for show.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: