fluff 1 of 2

noun

ˈfləf How to pronounce fluff (audio)
Definition of fluffnext
1
as in fur
a soft airy substance or covering self-consciously picked the fluff off his sweater as he answered the officer's questions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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

fluff

2 of 2

verb

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
Noun
There's no fluff or pomp to distract you, and everything from the seats to the door panels have been designed with ergonomics and accessibility in mind. — New Atlas, 16 July 2026 And last but certainly not least, carefully fluff throw pillows. — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 11 July 2026
Verb
Vinicius Jr — Brazil/Real Madrid (-5) Vini Jr was probably the Brazilian least deserving of elimination against Norway, and would have registered a sensational assist if Endrick had not fluffed his lines in the second half. — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 16 July 2026 Messi had the chance to equalize from the penalty spot in the first half but fluffed his lines — again. — David Hickey, NBC news, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fluff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fluff
  1. fur
  2. mistake
  3. fumble
  4. blow
  5. pile
  6. error
  7. stumble
  8. ruin
Noun
  • For her full ensemble, the God Is a Bullet star wore a plunging red evening gown with faux fur sleeves and strappy nude heels.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Their big paws may have bits of fur growing between their toes, and their tails are long and bushy.
    — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of fur
Noun
  • The debtor made a mistake to incur the liability, the liability was not covered by adequate insurance, and no settlement was achieved in litigation.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Despite acknowledging mistakes were made, FIFA is still facing a barrage of obstacles that are preventing it and Infantino from moving on from the saga.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of mistake
Verb
  • Lake Brantley appeared to have picked up the first down on third down but the ball was fumbled backwards to put the Patriots in fourth and long.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026
  • After Carter Jensen flew out to deep center field, Caglianone tagged from second base and kept running toward home as outfielder Andy Pages fumbled the baseball out of his glove.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of fumble
Verb
  • No one knows when a sedentary 75-year-old economist will kick the bucket or a derecho wind will blow the roof off a Roseville retirement condo, but there are actuarial records giving probabilities for either happening.
    — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 16 Aug. 2026
  • This debris can get sucked into your ductwork or blown back into the house.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of blow
Noun
  • Video from the scene showed a pile of shoes on the sidewalk near the water and sand.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Crews also will strengthen the roadway’s foundation with micro-piles, which are designed to counter upward water pressure beneath the pavement.
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of pile
Noun
  • But in Saturday’s game, the cornerback’s tendency to commit errors popped up, as he was flagged for two penalties in coverage.
    — Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The Guardians tacked on two more in the seventh on a play in which Kwan was credited for a steal of home and two errors were charged to Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth, who dropped a throw and threw wildly to third.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of error
Verb
  • According to The New York Times, a detective within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department who had been assigned to dig into the Shakur cold case stumbled upon Davis’ memoir and used it as evidence to build his case against him.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Drunken dragonrider Ulf the White's rage proves pivotal Debaucherous dragonrider Ulf White (Tom Bennett) stumbles into playing a major role in the final battle with his dragon Silverwing.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • Campione said her campaign was focused on protecting rural lands from being annexed into cities for rural subdivisions and stopping activities that could ruin water quality or override property rights.
    — James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • But the mellow vibes are ruined when a goofy case of mistaken identity results in Frankie coming home with a briefcase containing several vials of a glowing orange goo.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of ruin

Browse Nearby Words

flues
fluff
fluffed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fluff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fluff. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on fluff

Nglish: Translation of fluff for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All