as in breeze
a slight or gentle movement of air
felt a puff of wind on his face
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in to stroke
to praise too much
a talk show host who can be counted on to puff up the celebrities who readily consent to be interviewed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of puff
Mario Cortez, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Apr. 2026
Abe Lemons won an NIT and always filled reporters’ notebooks with colorful and outlandish quotes in between puffs on his ever-present cigar.
—Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2026
Annie Blackman, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
In the images, Shatner could be seen puffing on a cigar and smiling in front of a sunset.
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for puff
Noun
The restaurant first made waves with dishes like flaky curry puffs and laksa, a rice noodle soup made with more than 20 ingredients.
—Mario Cortez, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Apr. 2026
Abe Lemons won an NIT and always filled reporters’ notebooks with colorful and outlandish quotes in between puffs on his ever-present cigar.
—Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
This square-neck dress delivers idyllic countryside vibes in the best way, thanks to its charming neckline, smocked bodice, and puff sleeves.
—Annie Blackman, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
In the images, Shatner could be seen puffing on a cigar and smiling in front of a sunset.
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for puff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puff
Noun
-
Temperatures warm into the upper 60s and 70s on Friday afternoon, with a gusty south breeze.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Church bells ring briefly each quarter hour to sound time, their melodic peals blending with ocean breezes.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Before Heuermann changed his plea, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney asked him to confirm details surrounding each murder as members of the victims' families were heard gasping and audibly crying in the courtroom gallery.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
8 Apr. 2026
-
One of his teenage children gasped for air in the middle of the night.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Elton John doing a handstand on his keyboard, Roger Daltrey stroking a microphone, Ian Anderson making the flute somehow look cool — his pictures became a means of connection for fans.—
David Di Sabatino,
SPIN,
3 Apr. 2026
-
At first, Hanke thought Miyabi was just stroking his ego.—
Lucia Cheng,
Des Moines Register,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The buyer recently finished the inspections, but Murray isn’t holding his breath.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
And right as the world holds its breath, HMS Dragon has a fault with its fresh water supply.—
Elaine Mallon,
FOXNews.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Dogs also pant to regulate their body temperature.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Eyes wide, panting near panic, Foster perfectly captures the audience's own fear of being alone in the dark with a monster.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Her voice, languid and honeyed, can glide over sensual R&B, bouncing reggaetón, shimmering pop or nostalgic jazz.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
16 Oct. 2025
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Those harmonies — simultaneously honeyed and gravelly, providing just enough support without overshadowing, yet so powerful and full of potential — echoes Whitten.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
2 July 2024
Verb
-
Lightly massaging the area of application may further help relax muscles and stimulate circulation.—
T'Keyah Bazin,
Verywell Health,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Multi-setting showerheads, like most of those made today, have a wide array of choices to select from, ranging from powerful, massaging force to gentle rain and rinsing or even misting.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The morning show host congratulated Sophia and Isabella — who went to different high schools — on their accomplishments with individual social media posts.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Orbán, who has led Hungary for 16 years, conceded and congratulated Magyar less than three hours after polls closed.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puff. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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