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puff 1 of 2

noun

Definition of puffnext
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

puff

2 of 2

verb

ˈpəf How to pronounce puff (audio)
1
as in to gasp
to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty he came running up the stairs puffing and wheezing

Synonyms & Similar Words
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

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 puff
Noun
The resulting fire sent large puffs of black smoke into the air. — Staff and Wire Reports, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026 Keep scrolling for more under-$40 sweater scores, including a cropped cardigan, a front-tie design, and a puff-sleeve style that’s perfect for the office. — Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
The Emanuels created the second dress just in case something happened to Diana’s primary dress, which came complete with a 25-foot train, 10,000 pearls, antique lace, puff sleeves, and a ruffled V-neck. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 9 Aug. 2026 Throughout Thursday’s ruling, Judge Bryan Biedscheid compared Meta and its suite of apps to a factory — and its harm to puffing toxins into the air. — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for puff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puff
  1. breeze
  2. gasp
  3. stroke
  4. breath
  5. pant
  6. honey
  7. massage
  8. congratulate
Noun
  • Gusts up to 35 mph out of the north are possible, with the breeze pushing south toward Fresno.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Each kit includes 36 pre-bonded clusters—enough for six applications—plus a non-stick applicator that makes placement a breeze.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of breeze
Verb
  • Extreme mountain climbing has never looked anything but miserable from the distance of a screening room, and The Other Side delivers mightily on all that scraping, straining, gasping toil.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The power outages caused by storms that roared through the region nearly two weeks ago have one resident of this Rust Belt city literally gasping for air.
    — Selina Guevara, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of gasp
Verb
  • But Kim stroked a walk-off single into left field in the ninth inning off Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott to give the Atlanta Braves a 6-5 victory over the Dodgers on Wednesday night.
    — Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Afterwards, as Cheogyal puts it, the spiritual leader stroked his head with compassion.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of stroke
Noun
  • With just 26 seconds remaining in Wednesday night’s season opener against the New England Patriots, star Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba held his breath, hoping desperately that Seattle’s defense would step up.
    — Andrew Destin, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Inside, a speakeasy-style bar room, pool table, and grand piano invite long evenings of conversation, while the deck, sauna, and BBQ beg for one last breath of time spent outside.
    — Madeline Weinfield, Vogue, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of breath
Verb
  • The Row Frima pants $3,150 Track Star The track jacket is my fall answer to fashion’s (and my personal) ongoing love affair with sport—styled with a touch of Saint Laurent and Celine polish for everyday or taken full pro athlete à la Balenciaga.
    — Minty Mellon, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The delivery person added that none of the canines appeared to have access to food or sufficient water, and that all the animals were panting.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of pant
Verb
  • The mouthfeel is thick, chewy, and honeyed, with a hint of marzipan.
    — Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Her voice, languid and honeyed, can glide over sensual R&B, bouncing reggaetón, shimmering pop or nostalgic jazz.
    — Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2025
Definition of honey
Verb
  • These included cleaning, caring for Chong’s children and massaging his feet without pay, 7NEWS reported.
    — Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The 24-time Grand Slam champion appeared to suffer a cramp in his left foot, threw up, and took a medical time-out to have his back massaged between the fourth and fifth sets before losing to Argentine player Mariano Navone.
    — Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of massage
Verb
  • When Reddick won the Daytona 500 in February, NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell and chief operating officer Ben Kennedy were among the first to congratulate Jordan, the trio embracing in a hall outside Jordan’s suite.
    — Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • But for now, let’s all giggle at how fully Naheim ignored Bryan when going to congratulate Jude.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of congratulate

Phrases Containing puff

Browse Nearby Words

puerility
puff
puff adder
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Cite this Entry

“Puff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puff. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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