variants
or boffo
1
as in chuckle
an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement
an old joke dating from the days of vaudeville that's still good for a boff
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in laugh
something said or done to cause laughter
the emcee told some good boffs that kept the ceremony from becoming too serious
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of boff
The Rockies threw a boffo welcome-back for Ryan Feltner on Saturday night, and the right-hander was the biggest party animal of all.
—
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 31 May 2026
Nothing else could explain the boffo box office for The Devil Wears Prada 2, right?
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 3 May 2026
Other spring arrivals Giant ($1,215,687) and Every Brilliant Thing ($1,566,354) continued strong showings, and Ragtime was boffo as always at $1,152,711.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 21 Apr. 2026
The show returned for the second half of its 12th season in January to boffo numbers, a rare growth story in the land of basic cable.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Wall Street predicts boffo box office.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Swift has also been selling CDs and vinyl LPs in advance through her website, in various design variants and bundled with merchandise — like an orange cardigan paired with a CD in a sparkly box for $70 — all but guaranteeing boffo opening-week sales numbers.
—New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Serena and Nate boff at a wedding reception on Gossip Girl
Two high-school students bump uglies on the bar of Michael Jordan's Steakhouse with a reception happening about two feet away.
—Laura Beck, Cosmopolitan, 25 July 2017
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 31 May 2026
Nothing else could explain the boffo box office for The Devil Wears Prada 2, right?
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 3 May 2026
Other spring arrivals Giant ($1,215,687) and Every Brilliant Thing ($1,566,354) continued strong showings, and Ragtime was boffo as always at $1,152,711.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 21 Apr. 2026
The show returned for the second half of its 12th season in January to boffo numbers, a rare growth story in the land of basic cable.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Wall Street predicts boffo box office.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Swift has also been selling CDs and vinyl LPs in advance through her website, in various design variants and bundled with merchandise — like an orange cardigan paired with a CD in a sparkly box for $70 — all but guaranteeing boffo opening-week sales numbers.
—New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Serena and Nate boff at a wedding reception on Gossip Girl
Two high-school students bump uglies on the bar of Michael Jordan's Steakhouse with a reception happening about two feet away.
—Laura Beck, Cosmopolitan, 25 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boff
Noun
-
As Ross runs off, on to the next part of the show, commentator John Helm lets out a hearty chuckle.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
-
Even Saturday Night Live’s reigning king of smarm, Colin Jost, playing a henpecked husband, got some chuckles out of me.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
The fallout of that inquiry—to which Joe and Angela gamely acquiesce—generates its share of laughs, though our amusement comes at a cost.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 June 2026
-
There are definitely laughs in Maddie’s Secret, but the point of the movie is almost to get beyond them, to the place where naive hokum could yield moments of inexplicable resonance.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
After the laughter ringing through the room subsides, though, Abela does allow for a moment of reverence — for the HBO drama if not for the disreputable people who populate it.—
Matt Brennan,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
-
Our goal with Scary Movie was to bring laughter back to the world.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Their purpose was partly decorative and partly protective, but the visual joke became unavoidable.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
The fierce woman who always wore black, who could light up a room with her sly jokes and smoky laughter, grew quieter and more fragile after losing her lover.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
One highlight of this tenure was his descent into a fit of giggles while interviewing Carol Channing.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
-
Judging by the increasingly loud chatter and giggles, the constantly refilled carafes of house red wine were a hit amongst our group—and the rest of the diners that night.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Still, Yoon’s joking somehow lightens the mood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Sometimes a playful comment, an unexpected reply or a joking callout between brands takes on a life of its own online.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
The grown-ups in the audience snicker.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
-
There were snickers from some of the other students, including a tall and lank-haired kid whose name Adele didn’t know.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
The Uber initiative is the latest sally in a long war pitting plaintiffs and their lawyers against businesses, with legal fees as the battleground.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Prices of stocks and bonds, along with long-term interest rates, have oscillated up and down in response to the daily verbal sallies from the White House.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Boff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boff. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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