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
  • Until recently, that would have sounded like absolute nonsense.
    Zach Harper, New York Times, 30 June 2026
  • There weren’t meetings with executives about tone and mood and all this nonsense.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • From a technical standpoint, the cage helps isolate the drum sound and prevent it from blending with other instruments, which could muddle the music.
    Heather Bushman, Oklahoman, 7 July 2026
  • Because the devices are relatively new, hospitals do not always categorize the exact type of vehicle involved in a crash, and details such as speed are self-reported, meaning the data can be muddled.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 22 June 2026
Noun
  • Instead, rival parties united in dismissing his actions as a stunt, leaving his only opponent to be a garbage-can wearing comedian whose policies include forcing rule-breaking cyclists to ride unicycles.
    Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 9 July 2026
  • Using a plastic bag to collect the soil and disposing of it in the garbage — not green yard waste bins — will help to reduce the spread of airborne chemicals.
    Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Verb
  • Peruse these equally stylish and practical finds from Ralph Lauren, West Elm, Calvin Klein, and more, including inserts to fluff up existing duvets and sets for a cohesive look, with discounts up to 86 percent off.
    Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026
  • Once they’re fluffed up and molded into position, no one will think otherwise.
    Julia Fields, Southern Living, 24 June 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • So where does the rubbish come from?
    Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 8 June 2026
Verb
  • The bull sagged at the front quarters, then began a desperate, blundering run.
    Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 8 July 2026
  • In an attempt to escape, the insects fly upward and blunder into a bottle filled with ethanol, which kills them and preserves their remains.
    Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 June 2026
Noun
  • Minions & Monsters kept its familiar chaos intact, but its turn toward sentiment may have left behind some of the pure silliness that built its core audience at home.
    David Deal, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Karaoke, whether at a public bar or in one of the private rooms available in most cities, is commitment-free silliness and one of the easiest ways to shake off a long week.
    Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • Just thinking about how much true, false, and plain crazy stuff has been written about you boggles the mind.
    Bryan West, USA Today, 12 June 2026
  • Go Fishing The amount and variety of fish in Lake Superior boggles the mind.
    Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 7 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Piffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piffle. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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