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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2025
These preambles separate the wheat from the chaff in terms of Maron’s fans, though, which is the wheat and which is the chaff in skipping in the intros versus listening to them remains to be seen.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 2 June 2025
In other words, nearly nine-tenths of all primetime impressions were chaff.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 29 May 2025
In French air force service, the Mirage 2000-5F flies with a combination of a Serval radar warning receiver, a Sabre jammer and an Eclair chaff and flare dispenser.
—David Axe, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Noun
Visitors can see the operations of the thresher and the simple mechanics used to separate grain from chaff.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2025
These preambles separate the wheat from the chaff in terms of Maron’s fans, though, which is the wheat and which is the chaff in skipping in the intros versus listening to them remains to be seen.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 2 June 2025
In other words, nearly nine-tenths of all primetime impressions were chaff.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 29 May 2025
In French air force service, the Mirage 2000-5F flies with a combination of a Serval radar warning receiver, a Sabre jammer and an Eclair chaff and flare dispenser.
—David Axe, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaff
Verb
-
Joe LaCava violated Rory’s airspace on the 18th green while taunting the same gallery that had teased his player, Patrick Cantlay, who had reportedly declined to wear a team hat to protest the lack of player compensation at such a big event.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
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The trailer for the upcoming fourth season of CBS‘ Fire Country teases the aftermath of the series’ emotional Season 3 finale, which, as Deadline reported exclusively, marked the exits as series regulars of original cast members Stephanie Arcila and Billy Burke.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Sucker Punch recently fired a developer who joked about right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk’s assassination after the same people who vowed to never play Yotei launched a cancel campaign against the studio.—
Alyssa Mercante,
Rolling Stone,
25 Sep. 2025
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The pair also joked about it when the former President showed up on the podcast Michelle Obama co-hosts with her brother, titled IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Now, Wilson is showing off his brand's latest back-to-school collection as part of Macy's x Rookie kids fashion show, and his three eldest kids walked the runway.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
19 Sep. 2025
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In that novel Lockwood managed to come across as a master of the American folk art of kidding (as Dwight Macdonald said of Delmore Schwartz) yet was deadly serious at the same time.—
Book Marks
September 18,
Literary Hub,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Their coffee beans are roasted in-house and all drink syrups are homemade.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Sep. 2025
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Watson was accused of being aloof and out of touch and the team’s management was publicly roasted by a furious Phil Mickelson in the Sunday night press conference.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The movie is based on the true story of British Intelligence operatives using unprecedented strategic operations to fool Nazi leadership and help change the course of World War II.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
23 Sep. 2025
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Don’t be fooled, there is intention.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaff. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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