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
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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
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2
as in to joke
to make jokes
a coworker who likes to chaff at others' expense, and this often results in hurt feelings
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chaff
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Noun
This efficiency allows for additional capacity regarding chaff and flare countermeasures, enhancing the aircraft’s ability to evade enemy defenses.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaff
Verb
-
Prevost was so dedicated to becoming a priest, his brother would tease him about being the pope.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
11 May 2025
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However, the new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has teased an agreement over the terms for such a ceasefire as Kyiv's allies meet in the Ukrainian capital this weekend.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 May 2025
Verb
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Additional allegations include that Brand exposed himself to a woman in an office building and then joked about the incident on his radio show.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2025
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In the interview, Cannon casually joked about insuring his testicles for a whopping $10,000,000, claiming each one was worth $5,000,000.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
2 May 2025
Verb
-
Brinkley laughed, then realized Joel wasn’t kidding.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
29 Apr. 2025
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All kidding aside, McQuillan has been impressed by Fernandez this season.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Dave Chappelle roasted Donald Trump for taking over as chairman of the Kennedy Center—weeks after a past joke about the president went newly viral on social media.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
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Believe it or not, black, green, white, and oolong teas all start from the same humble Camellia sinensis plant; variations in oxidation, roasting, and drying take them in different directions for appearance and flavor.—
Oset Babür-Winter,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 May 2025
Verb
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Don’t be fooled by the context of what is said: the basis for the drama is jealousy and control.—
Lisa Stardust,
Refinery29,
1 May 2025
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Rather than get stuck in or fooled by the appearance of things, this principle reminded us to sense their energetic underpinnings, such as clarity and intention.—
Ginny Whitelaw,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaff. Accessed 16 May. 2025.
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