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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
  • 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
  • Their pitching is good, Griffin Jax could return soon, and Liam Hicks has added some thump to a lineup previously built around three really good hitters (Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda) and a bunch of do-your-job role players.
    — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 25 Aug. 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
  • Abby meanwhile was killed in the upstairs guest bedroom, but hit first on the side of the head before being dealt a total of 17 blows.
    — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Connecticut was among the few states helping to cover the loss of federal health insurance subsidies by earmarking millions of dollars to soften the blow for more than 150,000 Connecticut residents.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 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 this creamy dip comes together with cream, mayonnaise, chunks of crabmeat, and gets the perfect spicy punch from Old Bay seasoning.
    — Krissy Tiglias, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Two blue and yellow humanoid robots attempted to beat each other up with punches twice as hard as Mike Tyson’s.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 14 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 20 Sep. 2026.

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