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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Alongside the tape, the UK artist has also begun teasing a new album, Terrified.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
25 Jan. 2026 -
Hana can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching her, even teasing her.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Kevin Stefanski walked into his introductory news conference Tuesday smiling, joking about the weather, and sounding exactly like a coach ready to get to work.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The ‘Top Gun’ and meme effect Across social networks, users have latched onto the cinematic quality of Macron’s look, repeatedly referencing Top Gun and joking that the French leader appeared ready to step into a cockpit rather than a conference hall.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Literally toxic lesbians — kidding.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 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
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
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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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Topline The producer of a pair of aviator-style sunglasses that French President Emmanuel Macron sported at the World Economic Forum in Davos enjoyed a 28% bump in its stock price Thursday after the glasses sparked thousands of sarcastic jokes and memes online.—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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But in hindsight, yes, that was most likely sarcastic.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Aikman appeared to be a bit quizzical.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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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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Cite this Entry
“Chaffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaffing. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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