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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of chaff
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
In French air force service, the Mirage 2000-5F flies with a combination of a Serval radar warning receiver, a Sabre jammer and an Eclair chaff and flare dispenser.
—David Axe, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Noun
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
In French air force service, the Mirage 2000-5F flies with a combination of a Serval radar warning receiver, a Sabre jammer and an Eclair chaff and flare dispenser.
—David Axe, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaff
Verb
-
Along with Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters and Gillian Anderson’s characters are teased in the minute-and-a-half-long trailer, which also features a voice appearance from Bridges.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
5 Apr. 2025
-
The monkeys did it Since the very first episode, people online have been speculating that the monkeys often seen in ambient shots of Thailand’s nature are to blame for the ultimate shootout teased in this season’s opening scene.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The scene cuts to a confessional, where the Good American founder jokes that Scott should have been more careful while filming the past scene.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Oscar viewers often joke that the Academy’s awards are given to those who do the Most, not the Best.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
After a day on the slopes at Lost Trail, make your way to the tiny town of Jackson, which will make Philipsburg and Anaconda seem like large metropolitan areas (kidding, kinda).—
Will McGough,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Huang may have been kidding, but Nvidia spent much of its event detailing just how much better its Blackwell chips are.—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
But ultimately, the best use of corn is hands down roasting it in a skillet.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Saturday Night Live didn’t hold back on roasting President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariff plan that sent global stocks plunging this week.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
That attempt was soon fooled by sloppy play in the neutral zone that gave Brad Marchand a short-handed opportunity.—
Nick Ashbourne,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
-
But don't let the name fool you, Murderbot isn't actually the frightening story of a dangerous security robot.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaff. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share