promise (someone) the stars/moon/earth/world
idiom
: to promise (someone) that one will do or give something great or wonderful even though it is not possible
He promised her the stars and the moon, so she married him.
Politicians will promise the earth when they're trying to get elected.
Examples of promise (someone) the stars/moon/earth/world in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Both can also leave you vulnerable to throwing money at treatments that promise the world.
—
Alex Zaragoza, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024
However, the industry is rife with providers that promise the moon but deliver far less.
—Ben Gebremeskel, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024
Lawless Forget the Filler Lip Mask $22 Sephora Plenty of products promise the world insofar as lips go, but this one—founded by Annie Lawless—truly delivers.
—Perrie Samotin, Glamour, 29 Mar. 2024
Choosing The Right Tool And Partner Organizations need to be wary of partnering with tool vendors who promise the moon and charge exorbitantly for licenses.
—Vasudevan Swaminathan, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2023
There are health supplements that promise the world but deliver molehills.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2022
The story also tells the cautionary tale of spaceport promoters, who promise the world—more than the world, in fact—to communities and then often fail to deliver.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 9 Sep. 2022
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alex Zaragoza, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024
However, the industry is rife with providers that promise the moon but deliver far less.
—Ben Gebremeskel, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024
Lawless Forget the Filler Lip Mask $22 Sephora Plenty of products promise the world insofar as lips go, but this one—founded by Annie Lawless—truly delivers.
—Perrie Samotin, Glamour, 29 Mar. 2024
Choosing The Right Tool And Partner Organizations need to be wary of partnering with tool vendors who promise the moon and charge exorbitantly for licenses.
—Vasudevan Swaminathan, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2023
There are health supplements that promise the world but deliver molehills.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2022
The story also tells the cautionary tale of spaceport promoters, who promise the world—more than the world, in fact—to communities and then often fail to deliver.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 9 Sep. 2022
Dictionary Entries Near promise (someone) the stars/moon/earth/world
Cite this Entry
“Promise (someone) the stars/moon/earth/world.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/promise%20%28someone%29%20the%20stars%2Fmoon%2Fearth%2Fworld. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share