as in joking
marked by or expressive of mild or good-natured teasing
a chaffing tone to Dad's discussion of my sister's new boyfriend
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in teasing
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 funning
to make jokes
a coworker who likes to chaff at others' expense, and this often results in hurt feelings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaffing
Verb
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Now, as Meadow Lane is set to officially open its doors this fall, Nussdorf is just excited for people to finally try the food, especially after more than a year of teasing his TikTok followers.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Oct. 2025 -
However, Motorola has already begun teasing international availability.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Moore was in the Bears’ locker room joking with teammates before leaving the stadium in an ambulance.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
14 Oct. 2025
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Orgeron provided one of the most memorable quotes about his firing and subsequent buyout, joking about it when speaking to the Little Rock Touchdown Club in Arkansas in 2022.—
Sam Khan Jr,
New York Times,
12 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
-
Okay, kidding about that last part.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Hey, what’s some ribbing between besties whose job security has been national news?—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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To get a sense of his whole deal, look no further than the half-mocking, half-earnest title of his latest album, Country!—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As a model named Carl, stuck in a relationship corrupted by microcelebrity and Instagram view counts, Dickinson ticks with exasperation and sarcastic logic, his jaw clenched, his eyes wide and staring.—
Carrie Battan,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
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Following the mother-daughter duo of Lorelai Gilmore, played by Lauren Graham, and Rory, played by Alexis Bledel, Gilmore Girls was perfectly made for millennials, packed with wistful romances, frustrating dramatic turns and just enough sarcastic jokes.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In a YouTube video, the robot’s head glances around with a quizzical expression and blinks in a way that is eerily lifelike.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Sep. 2025
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Louie is summoned to the apartment of Joe Black, a higher-up gangster played by John Malkovich with a manner so quizzical yet threatening that his voice just about quivers with unexpressed rage.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
3 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Chaffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaffing. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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