as in debris
discarded or useless material
there's a lot of chaff in this book, and the reader should be on the alert for it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in laugh
good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks
I got no end of chaff about my accent when I was in the military
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to tease
to make fun of in a good-natured way
chaffed her about the brightly colored shirt she had received as a gift
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to joke
to make jokes
a coworker who likes to chaff at others' expense, and this often results in hurt feelings
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chaff
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Jan. 2025
Not wind but a chaff of pollen choking in that whirl.
—David Baker, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024
Not wind but a chaff of pollen choking in that whirl.
—David Baker, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024
That’s where Quaker parenting has stepped in for me, providing a simple way to separate the wheat from the child-development chaff.
—Gail Cornwall, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Noun
This efficiency allows for additional capacity regarding chaff and flare countermeasures, enhancing the aircraft’s ability to evade enemy defenses.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Jan. 2025
Not wind but a chaff of pollen choking in that whirl.
—David Baker, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024
Not wind but a chaff of pollen choking in that whirl.
—David Baker, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024
That’s where Quaker parenting has stepped in for me, providing a simple way to separate the wheat from the child-development chaff.
—Gail Cornwall, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaff
Verb
-
For a long time, Burna Boy has been teasing a new album called No Sign of Weakness.—
Matthew Strauss,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2025
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Joy Behar teased, snapping Goldberg out of her short snooze.—
Emlyn Travis Published,
EW.com,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Nikki Glaser did joke that the secret to longevity as an artist is to never age, and these women are the living (and dancing) proof.—
Alex Apatoff,
People.com,
27 May 2025
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Some people in China joked online about having the university open a branch in the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin, whose name shares the same character as Harvard’s name in Chinese.—
Rajesh Roy,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2025
Verb
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The recipes are all kid friendly and include instruction sidebars that guide them throughout the process with helpful step-by-step photos.—
Rachel Flynn,
People.com,
20 May 2025
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But just kidding, actually $14 'cuz the orange tags were 50 percent off.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 May 2025
Verb
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Place salmon in oven and roast for 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily and is opaque throughout.—
Gretchen McKay,
Boston Herald,
28 May 2025
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Social media is abuzz with takes on Lopez's kiss-off, with some viewers roasting the number, particularly that Lopez was doing a medley of other people's songs rather than her own.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Prosecco may be Italy’s most joyful export—bubbly, bright, and effortlessly charming—but don’t let its easygoing nature fool you.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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Don't let his three Emmy nominations and his more than 10 million Instagram followers fool you, Pedro Pascal is a man of the people.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaff. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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