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
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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
What’s more, cramming the same number of pixels into a much smaller area introduces other challenges that can generate technical errors, such as noise (electronic chaff) and blooming (light spilling off the sides of the pixels), which in turn lead to image degradation.
—Sally Wiener Grotta, IEEE Spectrum, 19 Apr. 2012
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
What’s more, cramming the same number of pixels into a much smaller area introduces other challenges that can generate technical errors, such as noise (electronic chaff) and blooming (light spilling off the sides of the pixels), which in turn lead to image degradation.
—Sally Wiener Grotta, IEEE Spectrum, 19 Apr. 2012
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaff
Verb
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Paul teased getting involved, but instead opted to leave the ring.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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The Dodgers, however, weren’t the only ones eager to tease Drake after their big victory.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Since posting, Astra’s story has attracted thousands of amused comments, with many followers joking about the dramatic difference between the two breeds.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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The victim told police that Ising had constantly harassed him at work for two years, sitting next to him during meals and joking about his inability to eat many foods because of his medical condition.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Just before Thursday’s taping Pence and Emanual met outside the greenroom, and each greeted each other warmly, quickly asking each other questions about their kids before anything else, while kidding with each other about a long unpaid bet.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
10 Oct. 2025
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Okay, kidding about that last part.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Acorn squash can be baked, roasted, or steamed for a tasty side dish.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
6 Nov. 2025
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The skewers of meat brushed with soy and roasted over coals on Belém’s streets arrived with Japanese migration to the region from the 1930s onward.—
Michael Snyder,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The throw is crafted with acrylic, but don’t be fooled by its price; the intricate, woven yarn resembles that of chenille, with a buttery-smooth texture that feels luxuriously soft to the touch.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
4 Nov. 2025
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Anyone who predicted this Titans team to win more than four or five games was fooling themselves, and even those predictions are coming off over-optimistic.—
Nick Suss,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaff. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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