as in petticoat
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Recent Examples of distaff
An Elm Drive victory would give trainer Phil D’Amato a very successful weekend on the distaff side of the ledger.
—
Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2021
The personal rivalries on the distaff side became apparent during the transition: When the Bushes won, Nancy did not invite Barbara to tour the living quarters until January 11 — much later than was traditional.
—NBC News, 21 Apr. 2018
Even if a separate, distaff canon is built, the atmosphere against which it’s being constructed is, gradually, becoming more integrated.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2017
And behind the camera, Scherfig has created something of a distaff utopia: both the book and the screenplay were written by women.
—Richard Lawson, VanityFair.com, 6 Apr. 2017
Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2021
The personal rivalries on the distaff side became apparent during the transition: When the Bushes won, Nancy did not invite Barbara to tour the living quarters until January 11 — much later than was traditional.
—NBC News, 21 Apr. 2018
Even if a separate, distaff canon is built, the atmosphere against which it’s being constructed is, gradually, becoming more integrated.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2017
And behind the camera, Scherfig has created something of a distaff utopia: both the book and the screenplay were written by women.
—Richard Lawson, VanityFair.com, 6 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distaff
Adjective
-
Having female service members with the male combat troops allowed the military to speak to female civilians to get information or to provide help.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
4 Oct. 2025
-
About a half hour earlier, deputies with the department responded to a weapons disturbance call after a female family member alerted authorities that Lacy had allegedly been involved in a verbal argument with her and had discharged a firearm into the ground.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Brooches brought ladylike charm to the runway, transforming from heirloom pins into modern statements.—
Minty Mellon,
Vogue,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Femininity The femininity and ladylike silhouettes enhanced the Italian elegance that helped define one of the strongest messages of the Milan season.—
Alex Badia,
Footwear News,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distaff. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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