as in interpretation
a distinct treatment of something (as a story or a play)
a mock news program with humorous riffs on current events
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of riff
Ken is reliable and refreshing, just like this riff on the Tom Collins.
—
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 May 2025
Taking the main melody, the nine-time Grammy winner’s piercing voice soars over lush harmonies provided by the other singers, with Eilish adding her own tasteful riffs throughout.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 5 May 2025
While Page wrote new lyrics to the song, the main instrumental melody — especially the famous descending riff — remained largely similar to Holmes’ original.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 May 2025
Aside from margaritas, Grand Marnier offers nuance to a variety of cocktails including a riff on Tom Collins by using the bitter orange liqueur in place of a gin base for a fresher option (1.5 oz Grand Marnier, 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice, 1 barspoons simple syrup, 3 oz soda water).
—Jillian Dara, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for riff
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 May 2025
Taking the main melody, the nine-time Grammy winner’s piercing voice soars over lush harmonies provided by the other singers, with Eilish adding her own tasteful riffs throughout.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 5 May 2025
While Page wrote new lyrics to the song, the main instrumental melody — especially the famous descending riff — remained largely similar to Holmes’ original.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 May 2025
Aside from margaritas, Grand Marnier offers nuance to a variety of cocktails including a riff on Tom Collins by using the bitter orange liqueur in place of a gin base for a fresher option (1.5 oz Grand Marnier, 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice, 1 barspoons simple syrup, 3 oz soda water).
—Jillian Dara, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for riff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riff
Noun
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Regulatory documents are often written for legal interpretation, not technical implementation, leaving development teams struggling to translate abstract obligations into concrete product functionalities.—
Suresh Kannan,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
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Some council members questioned Fox’s interpretation of the law.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
22 May 2025
Noun
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Studies suggest that half of the variation in blood pressure is due to genetics.78 Mutations in over 100 genes contribute to blood pressure elevation.—
Angela Ryan Lee,
Health,
30 May 2025
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Reporting on their most recent outlays, there appears to be little variation between 2019 and 2025 in the type of specific investments in capital equipment.—
William Dunkelberg,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Noun
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The World Cup has most recently been aired by NBC, which remains the broadcaster of the Olympic Games and therefore will retain the rights to Rugby Sevens, the seven-a-side version of the sport, during the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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Make sure your browser supports WebGL to see the full version.—
Michael James Rocha,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riff. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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