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
  • His music often transforms a nonsense line or a passing thought into something profound.
    Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026
  • The show, created by Stephen Hillenburg, made its official debut after that on July 17, 1999, and it's been nautical nonsense from that day on.
    Bianca Harris, USA Today, 15 July 2026
Verb
  • Witt is, in my opinion, the best all-around player in baseball, but his value is spread into so many different facets of the game that the case gets muddled.
    Andy McCullough, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • The numbers are easy to muddle, and much of the coverage does.
    Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Noun
  • Take down bird feeders, empty water features, add fencing or other wildlife barriers, and prevent access to garbage bins.
    Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 22 July 2026
  • This buildup occurs substantially in the brain, like garbage piling up when the trash collectors stop coming.
    William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 22 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
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
  • On Monday, the first day of the trial in which Basabe is representing himself without an attorney, the proceedings were shaded by Basabe’s blundering legal missteps and procedural chaos.
    Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
  • The bull sagged at the front quarters, then began a desperate, blundering run.
    Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 8 July 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 24 Jul. 2026.

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