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 brutalist thump of drummer Moe Tucker renders the showmen in Led Zeppelin and the Who irrelevant.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of thump
Verb
  • Contreras smacked Young’s sinker 403 feet to left to lead off the fourth for his 18th homer.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
  • In a fight with yet more mercenaries, Reacher smacks a gun out of a guy’s hand using one of Philadelphia’s moving subway trains.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of smack
Noun
  • My body bounces once with a wet thud and comes to rest in the middle of the road.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 19 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of thud
Verb
  • Heather is absolutely tickled and lets out a cackle, because that little bit surely hits even harder if the FBI has actually busted up one of your cast trips before.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • In other white-collar fields, like legal services or copywriting, AI is hitting labor markets that were roughly in balance.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of hit
Noun
  • Start with clean hair or roots prepped with dry shampoo, then use a small heated round brush or blow-dryer to give the bangs volume.
    — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Australia suffered an injury blow with wicketkeeper Josh Inglis sidelined from the rest of the series due to a finger injury.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • Iran has tried to push world energy prices higher with attacks on the region's oil shipping routes; the United States, in turn, has aimed to wreck Iran's economy by blockading its ports since June and slapping it with increasingly tough sanctions.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The fight was so violent that each one of them punched, scratched, bit and slapped the other, Linhardt said.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of slap
Noun
  • Slicing $50 off knocks JBL’s latest battery-toting heavy hitter into sweet-spot pricing and gives you serious acoustic punch and endless endurance.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The one-two punch of a higher-than-usual tide and weeks of heavy rain submerged South Florida streets this weekend and put the region under a coastal flood advisory.
    — Alex Harris Updated September 27, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of punch
Verb
  • The autistic girl had stopped hurting herself by banging her head on the floor when she was frustrated.
    — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Officers were responding to a house sitter who discovered the damage while checking on loud banging in the home’s rear, police said.
    — Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of bang

Browse Nearby Words

biers
biff
biffed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Biff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/biff. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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