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
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Recent Examples of chaffing
Tim Chan, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
Water repellent fabrics will keep you dry to prevent chilling and chaffing.
—James Edward Mills, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2024
Verb
The Mulberry silk blend material, meantime, is soft and gentle against the skin, reducing fine lines caused by frequent rubbing or chaffing.
—Tim Chan, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
Water repellent fabrics will keep you dry to prevent chilling and chaffing.
—James Edward Mills, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaffing
Verb
-
Fans are convinced Musgraves is teasing a new album, which her fanbase has dubbed KM6.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Netflix is dishing out a second serving of A24‘s Beef, teasing a first look at the sophomore season of Lee Sung Jin‘s anthology.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Group chat logs obtained by the Miami New Times in 2018 showed TPUSA chapter members joking about rape.—
Claire Heddles,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Always entertaining and joking with those around him, the outspoken American has taken on a showman personality at the Games.—
Tales Azzoni,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There are also cool maps on the local prevalence of certain health conditions, from arthritis and asthma to cancer and high cholesterol to diabetes and depression to — not kidding here — where people have lost all their teeth.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Literally toxic lesbians — kidding.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Their trademark humor — that mix of cheeky absurdism and brotherly ribbing — is fully intact, recalling their ‘60s press conferences that won the hearts of a suspicious media.—
Jordan Runtagh,
PEOPLE,
27 Nov. 2025
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This strapless bra delivers a surprising amount of support and structure, with a longline silhouette, hook-and-eye closure, and subtle ribbing that give it a slightly corset-like feel.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
26 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Gavalas was a normal guy, Edelson said – a golfer, a funny person with a sarcastic wit, a video gamer.—
Brittany Wallman
Updated March 4,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Mother of two children with her sarcastic, smart and handsome husband.—
Gerald Witt,
AJC.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The quizzical quartet: Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, Bryce Huff and Keion White.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
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When the film won, many in the media room at BAFTA turned to each other with a quizzical look.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chaffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaffing. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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