1
2
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
the flustered newscaster's fluffs included a mispronunciation of the town's name
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to fumble
to make a mistake
unnerved by her earlier missteps, the skater fluffed on the final jump as well
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to blow
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
I completely fluffed the introduction by calling the boss's wife by the wrong name
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fluff
Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 8 May 2026
Up till now, the three babies had been totally white fluff balls.
—Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 May 2026
And despite captain Wendie Renard fluffing the initial penalty, she was afforded a second chance because Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar had stepped off her line.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fluff
Noun
For deep cleanings, detach the rug cover from its pad, machine wash the cover separately in cold water using a mild, non-bleach detergent and tumble-dry on air fluff mode or lay flat.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 8 May 2026
Up till now, the three babies had been totally white fluff balls.
—Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
Verb
To serve, fluff rice with a fork.
—Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 May 2026
And despite captain Wendie Renard fluffing the initial penalty, she was afforded a second chance because Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar had stepped off her line.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fluff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fluff
Noun
-
For 2024's Out100 celebration, Zaya rocked a jacket featuring a fur collar and fur cuffs that looked straight out of Fran Drescher's closet inThe Nanny.—
Alexandra Schonfeld,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
-
This is very important for pets because fur is where the ticks like to live.—
Chris McKeown,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Wrobleski made even fewer mistakes.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
In many games, her assists and offensive prowess create positives that can arguably offset her mistakes.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Given how badly Karen Bass has fumbled as mayor, Raman couldn’t do much worse.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
-
Ethan Bonner forced Dulcich to fumble, and rookie linebacker Trey Moore recovered it for the defense.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Somewhere a hand was raised, a whistle was blown, and all at once the butchers were out of their stalls, assembling in the aisles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
The Washington Nationals used Richard Lovelady, who blew Monday’s series opener, as an opener, followed by veteran Miles Mikolas for a bulk appearance, their most promising combination given their roster construction and arms available.—
Danielle Allentuck,
Washington Post,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Though the worst has not come to pass, Moscow’s decision — driven by domestic shortfalls caused by Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries — piles further pressure on the sector.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
2 June 2026
-
The conglomerate held a record cash pile of nearly $400 billion at the end of March.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Santos, whose political rise and fall was characterized by a notorious trail of lies and falsehoods, claimed my story was riddled with errors.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
4 June 2026
-
The other Philadelphia runs scored on a throwing error by San Diego reliever Yuki Matsui on a pickoff attempt and a fielder's choice by Brandon Marsh.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The first robot stumbles on aluminum debris, its wheels furiously trying to get traction and move around the obstacle.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Traveling even to a different Strip hotel could be bewildering, so tourists worn out by a day of wandering, people-watching and drinking didn’t seem to mind mediocre restaurants, content to stumble off to bed after a few turns at the tables.—
Winston Ross,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Our house, ruined by the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, was rebuilt from the foundation up.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
-
Undefeated this season on clay, the 15th-seeded Ukrainian player reached the quarterfinals at the French Open for the first time on Sunday by taking out four-time champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 and ruining her birthday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fluff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fluff. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
