100 Words That Kill Your Proposal – AI Edition

AI words are showing up in federal proposals, and evaluators are catching every one of them. In 2012, Lohfeld Consulting published 100 Words That Kill Your Proposals, a list of crutch words, boasting words, and vague fillers that weakened proposals long before generative AI existed. That list still holds up, but a new category of language has moved in—AI words. Lohfeld Consulting calls it “AI Speak,” and in a 2025 LinkedIn poll of 275 bid and proposal professionals, 33% of respondents named it their single biggest concern about using AI for proposal writing. This blog updates our original 100 words for the AI era, so that your team can spot these words before an evaluator does.

Why AI Words Cost You the Award

Proposal evaluators read hundreds of pages a week, and many have developed a sharp ear for AI words that sound polished but say nothing. Federal evaluators are not the only ones paying attention; some agencies now use AI detection tools as part of their review process, and a proposal saturated with predictable AI vocabulary can raise questions about how much human judgment, past performance insight, and customer understanding went into the response.

The danger is not that AI wrote a sentence—the danger is that AI words replaced a specific, evidence-based claim with a generic one. When a proposal leans on delve, tapestry, and unwavering instead of a named contract, a dollar figure, or a customer quote, the evaluator loses the very things that earn strengths: understanding, specificity, and proof.

The Delve Family: 20 Overused AI Verbs

Large language models default to a narrow set of verbs because those verbs are statistically safe, not because they are precise. Replace these verbs with the plain, direct action your proposal took:

1. Delve: Replace with examine or review.
2. Harness: Replace with use or apply.
3. Foster: Replace with build or support.
4. Underscore: Replace with show or confirm.
5. Elevate: Replace with improve or raise.
6. Navigate: Replace with manage or handle.
7. Showcase: Replace with demonstrate or present.
8. Leverage: Replace with use.
9. Unlock: Replace with enable or achieve.
10. Streamline: Replace with simplify.
11. Empower: Replace with equip or enable.
12. Bolster: Replace with strengthen.
13. Cultivate: Replace with build or develop.
14. Optimize: Replace with improve or refine.
15. Synthesize: Replace with combine or summarize.
16. Spearhead: Replace with lead.
17. Champion: Replace with support or advocate for.
18. Catalyze: Replace with start or drive.
19. Galvanize: Replace with motivate or mobilize.
20. Orchestrate: Replace with coordinate or manage.

Tapestry Nouns: 15 Borrowed-Grandeur Words

A second AI pattern reaches for abstract nouns to lend importance to an otherwise flat sentence. These words are frequent enough in AI-generated text that reviewers now flag them on sight:

• Tapestry: Replace with mix or combination.
• Landscape: Replace with market or environment and name the actual market.
• Realm: Replace with area or field.
• Ecosystem: Replace with network or program, and name it specifically.
• Journey: Replace with process or timeline.
• Cornerstone: Replace with foundation or name the specific capability.
• Bedrock: Replace with basis or foundation.
• Testament: Replace with proof or evidence and cite the evidence.
• Beacon: Replace with example or model.
• Mosaic: Replace with combination or range.
• Symphony: Replace with coordination.
• Labyrinth: Replace with complexity and describe the specific complexity.
• Kaleidoscope: Replace with range or variety.
• Odyssey: Replace with process or effort.
• Paradigm: Replace with model or approach.

AI Buzz Clusters: 20 Boasting Words Reborn

The original 100 Words called these boasting words, and AI has not eliminated them—it has mass-produced them. Lohfeld Consulting’s AI Speak research identified buzz clusters such as innovative, cutting-edge, and seamless strung together without ever connecting to the customer’s problem. The following words belong to the same family and should trigger the same scrutiny:

• Robust: Replace with a specific capability or capacity figure.
• Seamless: Replace with a description of the actual integration or handoff.
• Cutting-edge: Replace with the technology’s name and its function.
• Unparalleled: Cite the evidence that supports the claim instead.
• Unwavering: Describe the specific track record or proof point instead.
• Comprehensive: Replace with a list of what is included.
• Innovative: Replace with a description of what is new and why the innovation matters to the customer.
• Dynamic: Replace with adaptable or describe the specific adaptation.
• Transformative: Quantify the actual outcome instead.
• Groundbreaking: Describe and quantify or qualify the outcome of the event.
• Revolutionary: Replace with change and describe the specific change instead.
• Holistic: Replace with integrated or list the components.
• Multifaceted: Replace with a list of the specific facets.
• Intricate: Replace with complex and describe the specific complexity.
• Meticulous: Replace with a description of the specific process or control.
• Pivotal: Replace with important or critical and explain why.
• Paramount: Replace with important or state the priority directly.
• Crucial: Replace with important or state the requirement directly.
• Invaluable: Replace with the measurable value instead.
• Compelling: Replace with evidence that makes the case.

15 Filler Phrases and Transitions That Flag AI

AI models glue sentences together with transitions that human writers use sparingly. Reviewers notice when every paragraph opens the same way:

• Moreover: Connect the idea directly to the sentence before it.
• Furthermore: Use a period and start a new, direct sentence.
• Additionally: Restructure the sentence to lead with the new information.
• In today’s fast-paced environment: Name the specific market condition instead.
• In the ever-evolving landscape: Name the specific change instead.
• In an increasingly complex environment: Name the specific complexity instead.
• It is important to note: State the fact directly.
• It’s worth noting: State the fact directly.
• As we navigate: State the action directly.
• In the world of GovCon: Delete this phrase, since the audience already works in GovCon.
• In conclusion: Replace with a direct summary sentence.
• At the end of the day: Replace with a specific event or summary.
• When it comes to: Replace with a direct subject and verb.
• Needless to say: Don’t use this phrase; the sentence should say what you mean.
• In order to: Replace with to.

10 Hedging Phrases That Signal a Machine, not an SME

A subject matter expert states what the team will do, but AI models hedge because it’s a statistically safe way to avoid a wrong answer. Hedges read as uncertainty to an evaluator scoring confidence and feasibility:

• Can potentially: Replace with will and commit to the outcome.
• May help to: Replace with will or a specific verb.
• Strives to: Replace with will or name the target.
• Is designed to: Replace with will or a specific outcome.
• Aims to: Replace with will.
• Is committed to: Replace with a measurable commitment.
• Seeks to: Replace with will.
• Endeavors to: Replace with will.
• Works to ensure: Replace with ensures and describe the specific control.
• Helps to facilitate: Replace with a direct verb describing the actual action.

10 More AI Words Worth a Second Look

Rounding out the count to 100, these words appear less often than the “delve” family but still register as AI words to a trained reviewer:

• Enhance: Replace with improve and describe the specific improvement.
• Facilitate: Replace with help or enable.
• Utilize: Replace with use.
• Encompass: Replace with include.
• Ascertain: Replace with determine or confirm.
• Endeavor (as a verb): Replace with try or commit to the outcome directly.
• Interplay: Replace with relationship or connection, and name it specifically.
• Resonate: Replace with a description of the specific customer benefit.
• Alignment: Replace with fit and define the fit.
• Vibrant: Describe the specific activity or growth instead.

10 AI Phrases Common in Executive Summaries

Executive summaries carry the most evaluator attention per page, which makes them the worst place for AI words to hide. Watch for these specific phrase patterns:

• A trusted partner: Replace with a specific, named relationship or contract history.
• Best-in-class: Cite the ranking or metric that supports the claim.
• World-class: Cite the specific credential or result instead.
• Mission-critical: Describe the specific mission impact or critical path.
• Proven track record: Replace with a specific contract and proof points.
• Tailored solution: Replace with a description of the specific customization.
• End-to-end: Replace with a description of the specific scope from start to finish.
• Scalable: Replace with a specific capacity figure or growth plan.
• Game-changing: Quantify the actual change instead.
• Value-added: State the specific value delivered instead.

Ten GovCon Sample Sentences That Scream “AI Speak”

Individual words are only part of the pattern; AI models also default to sentence-level constructions that sound impressive but say little. Watch for constructions that resemble these examples:

• “Comprehensive strategic solutions that drive mission success.”
• “Cutting-edge methodologies that fuel innovation across the enterprise.”
• “A team uniquely positioned to deliver unparalleled results.”
• “A proven methodology that harnesses best-in-class capabilities.”
• “A solution that seamlessly integrates with existing infrastructure.”
• “A robust ecosystem of tools supporting the customer’s mission.”
• “An unwavering commitment to excellence and quality outcomes.”
• “A holistic approach that ensures long-term program success.”
• “An innovative approach that unlocks measurable value for the customer.”
• “A transformative solution that empowers the workforce to succeed.”

Every one of these sentences could describe almost any offeror on almost any RFP. Replace each with a sentence that only your company could write: a named contract, a specific metric, or a customer’s own words.

2 Structural Issues That Flag AI-Created Content

Word choice is only one signal—reviewers and AI detection tools also weigh sentence rhythm and structure, so a proposal can read as AI-generated even without a flagged word.

Watch for the “not just X, but Y” construction, which AI models default to far more often than human writers do. A proposal heavy with this pattern should be rewritten to state the finding directly instead of setting up a contrast. Also watch for paragraphs where every sentence runs the same length, since natural writing varies in rhythm while AI writing tends toward a flat, uniform cadence.

Rule-of-three lists deserve a second look as well. AI models frequently default to exactly three examples, three benefits, or three adjectives in a row, even when two or four would tell the story more accurately. Finally, confirm that every claim ties to a named contract, a metric, or a customer reference. A sentence that could be dropped into any proposal for any customer is a sentence that needs rework, regardless of which words it uses.

How to Catch These Words Before Submission

Building on the AI Speak fixes Lohfeld Consulting has already published, here are the checks that matter most when scrubbing a draft against this list:

• Run a keyword search. Search the draft for delve, tapestry, robust, seamless, leverage, and the other words on this list, then rewrite each instance with a specific, evidence-based alternative.
• Read the draft aloud. Sentences that sound like a brochure or a press release, rather than a colleague explaining a plan, usually contain AI words.
• Cross-check against the RFP. Every sentence should answer a specific requirement or evaluation factor, not a generic version of the topic.
• Add human fingerprints. Insert customer names, dollar figures, CPARS ratings, and specific past performance details that no AI tool could invent.
• Conduct a Strength-Based Winning^® review. Score the draft against the RFP’s evaluation criteria and confirm every scored element carries a specific, differentiated strength rather than a buzzword.

The Bottom Line

AI words are easy to miss because they sound professional on a first read, but they cost proposals the specificity, evidence, and customer focus that evaluators are scoring. Building this list into your style guide and review process closes the gap between a draft that reads well and a proposal that scores well.

Lohfeld Consulting helps GovCon teams eliminate AI Speak and create high-scoring proposals that win contracts. Contact us to learn how we can help your team win.

Continue Reading

Deepen your understanding of AI words and proposal quality with these Lohfeld resources:

• 100 Words that Kill Your Proposals: The original list of crutch words, boasting words, and vague filler language that inspired this AI update, complete with a free downloadable reference.

• Spotting “AI Speak” in Proposals, and Why It Matters: The blog that coined the term “AI Speak,” with seven characteristics evaluators use to spot machine-written content.

• How to Overcome Four AI Risks in Proposal Writing Now: A breakdown of the four factors, including AI Speak, that concern bid and proposal professionals most—with practical fixes for each.

By Brenda Crist, Vice President at Lohfeld Consulting Group, MPA, CPP APMP Fellow

Lohfeld Consulting Group has proven results specializing in helping companies create winning captures and proposals. As the premier capture and proposal services consulting firm focused exclusively on government markets, we provide expert assistance to government contractors in Capture Planning and Strategy, Proposal Management and Writing, Capture and Proposal Process and Infrastructure, and Training. In the last 3 years, we’ve supported over 550 proposals winning more than $170B for our clients—including the Top 10 government contractors. Lohfeld Consulting Group is your “go-to” capture and proposal source! Start winning by contacting us at www.lohfeldconsulting.com and join us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube^(TM).