1
: an ostinato phrase (as in jazz) typically supporting a solo improvisation
also
: a piece based on such a phrase
2
: a rapid energetic often improvised verbal outpouring
especially
: one that is part of a comic performance
3
: a succinct usually witty comment
4
: a distinct variation : take
… a disturbing … riff on the Cinderella story.—
Daria Donnelly
Daria Donnelly
riffed; riffing; riffs
: to perform, deliver, or make use of a riff
Examples of riff in a Sentence
Noun
He stole that riff from another song.
a mock news program with humorous riffs on current events
Recent Examples on the Web
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 1 Mar. 2026
Over six feet tall and skinny, with a mass of reddish curls, Fleming leaps and bounds across stage while delivering riffs on the bitmoji skills of baby boomers, ballads dedicated to deceased chain craft store Joann’s Fabrics, and Celine Dion’s gamer sons.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
Trump has treated the opening week of the war as an improvisational jazz session, riffing on different analyses, strategies, and endgames in conversations with numerous reporters.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for riff
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Noun
An extended riff on the leg-lengthening surgery from Materialists, of course.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 1 Mar. 2026
Over six feet tall and skinny, with a mass of reddish curls, Fleming leaps and bounds across stage while delivering riffs on the bitmoji skills of baby boomers, ballads dedicated to deceased chain craft store Joann’s Fabrics, and Celine Dion’s gamer sons.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
In a comedy special released last week, the thirty-nine-year-old comedian prances around the stage in a purple jumpsuit and sparkly red shoes, riffing on millennial-friendly topics such as Lin-Manuel Miranda and Fleet Foxes.
—Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
Trump has treated the opening week of the war as an improvisational jazz session, riffing on different analyses, strategies, and endgames in conversations with numerous reporters.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for riff
Cite this Entry
“Riff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riff. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.
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