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
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
as in worthless
having no usefulness
a decidedly chaffy book that is basically a collection of old interviews with celebrities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chaff
Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
In Figure 2, after the corn stalks are plucked, the cobs are separated and the chaff pulverized.
—Sabbir Rangwala, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
That makes the task of sorting wheat from chaff much more time-consuming for editors and referees, and also more technically difficult.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Eventually, at the supercomputer facilities of the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Germany, algorithms designed to spot RFI sorted the wheat from the chaff, reducing those 12 billion to 1 million, then 1,000.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Noun
Compared with the seeds of almost every other plant, grass seed is highly palatable, especially for a dexterous ape whose hands can slough off the chaff.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
In Figure 2, after the corn stalks are plucked, the cobs are separated and the chaff pulverized.
—Sabbir Rangwala, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
That makes the task of sorting wheat from chaff much more time-consuming for editors and referees, and also more technically difficult.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Eventually, at the supercomputer facilities of the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Germany, algorithms designed to spot RFI sorted the wheat from the chaff, reducing those 12 billion to 1 million, then 1,000.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaff
Noun
-
Stay away from windows as flying debris generated by damaging winds can be deadly.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2026
-
The weather service also urged people to avoid windows, and if outdoors, in a mobile home or in a vehicle to seek the closest substantial shelter and to protect themselves from flying debris.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Thank you Brian Tarantina for sharing in all of the laughs.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
11 Dec. 2025
-
And there are several clips that show how happy the couple seem, even one in which Emma slaps Charlie while in flagrante delicto, and the pair laugh in the shock of the moment.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
This supernovela, a term used to describe high-budget soapy dramas, looks ultra-addictive and is already teasing a second season.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
12 June 2026
-
On what the future holds for Fizzen, Cavallari teased a potential expansion into new drink divisions.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
When Lois Neville and Ellen Boudreau-Den Herder became co-executive directors of the Hollywood Fringe Festival in early 2020, their first job, Neville likes to joke, was to cancel it.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
-
In the past, the vice president has joked about his children's egg consumption.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
In response, the city provided free vaccination to dogs at the encampment, removed 40 tons of garbage and provided outreach to residents to mitigate the risk of leptospirosis.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
While the Doral incinerator used to burn about half of the county’s daily trash supply, Miami-Dade is now using trucks and trains to send its garbage to landfills across Florida.—
Douglas Hanks
June 11,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
And The Rest Is Football(Netflix, YouTube) is the latest podcast to make the leap to the small screen, with former England internationals Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and the ever-chuckling Micah Richards serving up a daily helping of World Cup analysis alongside the usual chummy banter.—
Jon O'Brien,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
-
Their tart banter in the Netflix hit doesn't rise to the toxic levels of their Roses relationship; in fact, the characters’ relationship ends on a more bittersweet and reflective note, as opposed to the movie’s grim comeuppance.—
Jesse Hassenger,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The connection to nature at Vista Celestial is truly profound, with wildlife waiting for you at the door—I'm not kidding, at one point, a capuchin monkey walked onto our patio to say hello.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
8 June 2026
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And even while kidding, Kupp couldn’t help but say out loud what many Rams followers are thinking.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Kurt's key takeaways Rick's story is a tough reminder that scams can look polished enough to fool careful people.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
-
Mining coal waste Do not let the name fool you.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaff. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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