piffle 1 of 2

Definition of pifflenext

piffle

2 of 2

verb

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 piffle
Noun
That may not sound like a virtue, but in a world where horror comes either overloaded with metaphor or reduced to bloody piffle, Cregger valiantly navigates an unnerving middle way. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025 The irony of the lightweight piffle being resurrected 26 years later isn’t lost on the group. Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 21 July 2023 The whole story now seems like so much piffle, except for the sons who lost their mother and a princess who lost her life. John Anderson, WSJ, 7 Oct. 2021 People who are too cowardly to put their names behind their allegations are hiding in the shadows, using the anonymity of dark money laws to try to raise doubts in the minds of voters by spreading inflammatory charges that amount to piffle. cleveland, 12 Sep. 2021 The fact that all those involved in discussing this question have heads full of tosh and piffle does not make for productive debates. Salman Rushdie, The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2020
Verb
And what The New Yorker saw happening most of all was Charlie Chaplin, who figures prominently in the magazine’s first year, in contexts ranging from pithy to piffling. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025 The Ritz, a smart London hotel where Margaret Thatcher spent her last days, is in fine fettle, turning a neat annual profit and valued in the region of £800m—not bad for a property bought for a piffling £75m in 1995. The Economist, 31 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piffle
Noun
  • The lyrics coalesced slowly, with McCartney filling the incomplete sections with nonsense phrases.
    Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Statham, who turned 59 this summer and is still in incredible shape, performs on his usual high-octane, no-time-for-nonsense level.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Affleck’s attempt to bind these three narratives into some grand conclusion, or lesson, about the state of being alive in the world is muddled and overwrought, full of clunky poetry that seems to think abstraction and repetition are keys to meaning.
    Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Our driving-city culture necessarily muddles or fuses the definitions of restaurant and bar.
    Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Minutes later, another man rifled through the same pile of garbage.
    ABC News, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The crowd revolted, showering the court with cups, beer cans and garbage.
    Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • At Villa Park last year, Elanga fluffed the final action, but not on this occasion at St James’ Park.
    Chris Waugh, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • After drying, fluff the pillow by breaking up remaining clumps by hand.
    Colleen Sullivan, Martha Stewart, 22 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • This comes at the expense of no movement in the wrist, but to be fair, having the lightsaber pointed in any other direction would look rubbish.
    Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Only construction waste will be accepted at the landfill such as, brush and rubbish, concrete, brick, rock, wood, paper, plastics, cardboard and roofing shingles and tiles.
    Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • Only a blundering idiot could spoil such an alliance and threaten damage to Florida’s economy.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The Team Penske star just needed a moment to vent on his team radio about a pit crew blunder before charging from 17th to first for his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
    ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Fans enjoy her silliness and willingness to discuss important issues.
    Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Some of the mayhem devolves into silliness, including a foot chase through Red Square (doubled by Budapest’s Heroes’ Square abetted with digital effects) and a vehicular chase in which Nick and Troy drive a nuclear missile launcher.
    Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The line of aircraft coming in for a landing looks mind boggling to handle but the ATC’s do it without incident.
    Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Why someone would want a plush Javert, even in bear form, boggles the mind.
    Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 30 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Piffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piffle. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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