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
Jeff Miller, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2026
And even as Netflix seems determined to develop every possible riff on the reality dating show format, there are bound to be a few crazy ideas that nobody has stumbled onto yet.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026
Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Vogue is committed to reporting and riffing on the global fashion conversation—always filtered through the lens of culture and what’s happening in the world at large.
—Vogue, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for riff
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Noun
Current guitarist Meg Mills alternated between Edge-style, reach-for-the-sky reverb and chunky riff-heavy power chords, playing off the rest of the band’s high-octane energy for the bulk of the hour-long set.
—Jeff Miller, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2026
And even as Netflix seems determined to develop every possible riff on the reality dating show format, there are bound to be a few crazy ideas that nobody has stumbled onto yet.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
There is also an opportunity for new takes and, of course, to reach a fresh generation that does not remember Wilson, standing at the corner of Dearborn and Randolph Streets, smoking a cigarette and ready to riff with anyone who walked by.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Vogue is committed to reporting and riffing on the global fashion conversation—always filtered through the lens of culture and what’s happening in the world at large.
—Vogue, 6 Apr. 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 19 Apr. 2026.
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