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
-
Investigators say a disturbance between two groups inside a business carried over into the parking lot and a female suspect got into her car, killing one while injuring a man and two other women.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Most of the students wore collared shirts and slacks; the one female student who joined, Theresa Boyle, who lives in an apartment building across the street, wore a light-blue dress and a small cross necklace.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Long, layered pendants and strands of pearls work well with both knits and ladylike jackets, as seen here.—
Christina Holevas,
Vogue,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Whereas these very ladylike mules would still be quite cute with jeans and a T-shirt, an outfit in the same black and white theme takes things to another level.—
Alison Syrett Cleary,
InStyle,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distaff. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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