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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of chaff
Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Noun
After hiring an industry executive, the company figured out how to separate the valuable ore from the chaff.
—Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaff
Verb
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In August 2025, the company announced plans to enter the automotive sector and teased two concept cars that drew heavy comparisons to the Bugatti Chiron and Rolls-Royce Cullinan.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
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Also at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Cyrus teased a potential return to the beloved, wig-wearing character.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Doughnuts and coffees in hand, some of them joked about seeing each other look happy for the first time in weeks.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
8 Nov. 2025
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The director playfully joked not to ask him what Camazotz is, as many views and fans have started theorizing how that name could tie into the show.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Rates for the winter journey to the North Pole start at approximately $42 for adults (and kids ages 12 and over) and just over $31 for children ages two to 11.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Nov. 2025
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Just kidding - but honestly not sold on him being the best player on a championship caliber team.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
30 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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Don't be fooled by an ocean that looks calm.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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To Newton, the saga was a reminder of how, in the age of increasingly sophisticated and accessible generative AI, anyone online can easily and quickly fool even the most discerning content consumers.—
Lauren Wilson,
NBC news,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaff. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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