as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
the belief that soda is made out of acid is just piffle
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to muddle
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of piffle
The Economist, 31 Oct. 2019
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025
Too often, the competing streaming algorithms at Netflix, Max, and Amazon Prime Video push a smattering of undifferentiated piffle.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 17 Mar. 2025
To note that Gloria!, the directing debut of Italian actor-singer-songwriter Margherita Vicario, is vapid, pseudo-feminist, sentimental piffle would be entirely accurate.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The irony of the lightweight piffle being resurrected 26 years later isn’t lost on the group.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 21 July 2023
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 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
It’s a not-quite-living imitation of a movie, a self-parody that lacks even a touch of humor—because, at the slightest sting of wit, its entire membrane of fakery would burst and leave hardly a piffle of vapor behind.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 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
Noun
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
Verb
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
Too often, the competing streaming algorithms at Netflix, Max, and Amazon Prime Video push a smattering of undifferentiated piffle.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 17 Mar. 2025
To note that Gloria!, the directing debut of Italian actor-singer-songwriter Margherita Vicario, is vapid, pseudo-feminist, sentimental piffle would be entirely accurate.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The irony of the lightweight piffle being resurrected 26 years later isn’t lost on the group.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 21 July 2023
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 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
It’s a not-quite-living imitation of a movie, a self-parody that lacks even a touch of humor—because, at the slightest sting of wit, its entire membrane of fakery would burst and leave hardly a piffle of vapor behind.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piffle
Noun
-
While countless users dismissed the theories as nonsense, the dog pile had begun causing the hot takes to go viral.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Bon Jovi’s team dismissed word of the tour as nonsense.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Relying on such sources is misleading and muddles the comparison with Chicago, which has better public transit than Philadelphia.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Blackberries are muddled with fresh basil to release their flavorful juice before topping with wine, sparkling lemon soda and fresh nectarine slices in this dazzling cocktail that is hard to beat on a hot summer afternoon.—
Laura Mclively,
Mercury News,
22 July 2025
Noun
-
New York City has already begun working with neighborhood groups and activating organizations who sign up to be notified before a big rain to clean debris like falling leaves and garbage from the sewer drains in their community.—
Amy Chester,
New York Daily News,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Check garbage collection schedules in Ohio Ohio's bigger cities won't see garbage trucks on Labor Day.—
Mariyam Muhammad,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Then lift the lid and fluff the pilaf with the tines of a large fork and serve.—
Bill St. John,
Denver Post,
8 Aug. 2025
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The brand recommends laying the topper flat to expand for several hours after removing it from the packaging, but shoppers note that fluffing it in the dryer before use also does the trick.—
Maggie Horton,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The new law also applies to vehicles used to transport garbage, rubbish, trash or debris.—
Mary Murphy,
Twin Cities,
30 July 2025
-
When the house was done being used, ancient people cut a hole through the floor and dug the pit, then filled it with domestic rubbish.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
9 June 2025
Verb
-
Finally, Charlie displays his new skills while blundering through a read-aloud session in the library.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
8 Jan. 2025
-
Some reasons why economists blundered on free trade In their new study, the China Shock economists throw a bit of shade on the economics profession for getting the effects of free trade so wrong in the past.—
Greg Rosalsky,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Use it to find and retrieve stray nuts or bolts in any crevice.—
Nora Colomer,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2025
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Without that pollination, almond trees produce only 200 pounds of nuts per acre.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
So Heisenberg took a conceptual leap that still boggles minds today.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Aug. 2025
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Daily, there will be more whats to boggle the mind.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Piffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piffle. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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