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biff 1 of 2

noun

ˈbif How to pronounce biff (audio)
Definition of biffnext
as in thump
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument he got a biff in the noggin as his reward for trying to intervene in the fight

Synonyms & Similar Words

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biff

2 of 2

verb

as in to smack
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner the elderly woman swung her purse and biffed the mugger upside the head

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of biff
Verb
Keldon Johnson biffed reckless drives to the basket. — Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 7 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for biff
  1. thump
  2. smack
  3. thud
  4. hit
  5. blow
  6. slap
  7. punch
  8. bang
Noun
  • The Giants lineup even lacked Rafael Devers’ considerable thump for the first time since the Giants traded for him last summer.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • If those ground tests show the jet’s acoustic thump is soft enough for suburban skies, NASA plans to fly the X-59 over several US communities to gather public feedback.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of thump
Verb
  • Dangbei rates it at 3,100 ISO lumens, which puts it pretty smack dab in the middle of projectors in this price range (MSRP is $1,999).
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Sep. 2026
  • That stretch started with the doubleheader sweep of the Detroit Tigers earlier this month, when Bazzana smacked a tying homer and a walk-off single in the nightcap.
    — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of smack
Noun
  • In 2019, the coach Brian Flores era began with a resounding thud as the Dolphins were trounced, 59-10, by Baltimore.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Others joined him and the thud of clubs on tree trunks resumed.
    — Leslie E. Tassell, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of thud
Verb
  • The helicopter, which was used by NBC and Telemundo, crashed about two hours after police say Rios drove her 2004 Ford Expedition the wrong way down a busy avenue, ran a red light and struck a vehicle before hitting the bus.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Police say Rios drove her 2004 Ford Expedition the wrong way down a busy avenue, ran a red light, and struck another vehicle before hitting the Metro bus.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of hit
Noun
  • If last year’s bill delays were a blow to budgets, distribution troubles were the uppercut.
    — A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • While often associated with blows to the head during contact sports, concussions are common at all ages.
    — Richard Sima, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • Trump has slapped a 50% tariff on Canadian goods and plans to ban the country's dairy, alcohol and auto imports later this month, drawing retaliation from Ottawa.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Texas quarterback Arch Manning has apologized for his public reaction to a video that was altered by AI to show Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe and knocking her to the ground.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of slap
Noun
  • And by the way, with how shifty rookie Emmett Johnson has been at this level, Kansas City may quietly have one of the league’s best one-two punches.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
  • In the fifth round, the champion landed a powerful right-hand punch that knocked Pantoja down.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of punch
Verb
  • Both banged off the Tropicana Field catwalk in foul territory, nullifying the catch made on both of them.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026
  • As the spot ends, the robot is left banging its head against a wall.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of bang

Browse Nearby Words

biers
biff
biffed
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Cite this Entry

“Biff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/biff. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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