huff and puff
idiom
1
: to breathe in a loud and heavy way because of physical effort
He was huffing and puffing when he got to the top of the stairs.
2
: to show one is annoyed or angry
She'll huff and puff for a while, but she'll calm down later.
Examples of huff and puff in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Also, some people may huff and puff with more prolonged or more intense bouts of physical activity; others may lose their breath with mild exercise.9
What Can Contribute To Feeling Breathless?
—
Rozalynn S. Frazier, Health, 3 Sep. 2023
For the sandwich lovers who might huff and puff at a bagel served with its guts on display, Layla’s got you: a scrambled egg and chermoula bagel is slammed shut and wrapped nice and tight.
—The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 27 June 2023
Walking into a drug store for a simple errand is enough to make Josh Welch huff and puff as if he’s just gone for a run.
—Marin Wolf, Dallas News, 10 Mar. 2023
On the run, big mamma will charge to 60 mph in a very respectable 7.2 seconds and will huff and puff all the way to 121 mph.
—Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, 3 Feb. 2023
Don’t act out, don’t huff and puff over the indignity of it all — just be busy that day.
—Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2022
Don’t act out, don’t huff and puff over the indignity of it all – just, be busy that day.
—Amy Dickinson, oregonlive, 18 Nov. 2022
There's little to huff and puff about on the mostly level ride with some fun ups and downs and no leg burning climbs.
—Flip Putthoff, Arkansas Online, 21 Dec. 2021
Fisher and Kaval staked the A’s future in Oakland to a risky waterfront project with a thousand major hurdles, and now act insulted because those hurdles don’t topple when the owner and his sidekick huff and puff.
—Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Oct. 2021
See More
Rozalynn S. Frazier, Health, 3 Sep. 2023
For the sandwich lovers who might huff and puff at a bagel served with its guts on display, Layla’s got you: a scrambled egg and chermoula bagel is slammed shut and wrapped nice and tight.
—The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 27 June 2023
Walking into a drug store for a simple errand is enough to make Josh Welch huff and puff as if he’s just gone for a run.
—Marin Wolf, Dallas News, 10 Mar. 2023
On the run, big mamma will charge to 60 mph in a very respectable 7.2 seconds and will huff and puff all the way to 121 mph.
—Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, 3 Feb. 2023
Don’t act out, don’t huff and puff over the indignity of it all — just be busy that day.
—Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2022
Don’t act out, don’t huff and puff over the indignity of it all – just, be busy that day.
—Amy Dickinson, oregonlive, 18 Nov. 2022
There's little to huff and puff about on the mostly level ride with some fun ups and downs and no leg burning climbs.
—Flip Putthoff, Arkansas Online, 21 Dec. 2021
Fisher and Kaval staked the A’s future in Oakland to a risky waterfront project with a thousand major hurdles, and now act insulted because those hurdles don’t topple when the owner and his sidekick huff and puff.
—Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Oct. 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'huff and puff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Huff and puff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/huff%20and%20puff. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.
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