as in breeze
a slight or gentle movement of air
felt a puff of wind on his face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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
R29 Team, Refinery29, 19 Sep. 2025
The video shows a puff of smoke emerging behind the jetliner.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 17 Sep. 2025
Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025
The original existentialists, all those lovely, gallant, puffing-their-ciggies Parisian men and women, were very happy for everything to be a dilemma.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for puff
Noun
The sun blasts us from the left and warm air puffs weakly from the vents.
—R29 Team, Refinery29, 19 Sep. 2025
The video shows a puff of smoke emerging behind the jetliner.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
When rolling up the dough, be careful not to roll it too tightly to allow the buns room to rise and puff up.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025
The original existentialists, all those lovely, gallant, puffing-their-ciggies Parisian men and women, were very happy for everything to be a dilemma.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for puff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puff
Noun
-
The idea behind the Tumbleweed project is to design large-scale, low-cost robotic rovers that can cover great swathes of the Martian surface while driven purely by the breeze.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The cuffed pants and the knee-length cardigan offer enough coverage to stay cozy against a cool breeze.—
Gabriela Izquierdo,
Southern Living,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
If nothing else, his wealth of experience, ability to recognize coverages and check the Browns into advantageous situations should be the bare minimum for an offense gasping for life.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
-
The man who once made Madison Square Garden erupt now gives book clubs a reason to gasp.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
While fans and pundits stroke their chins and ponder Arsenal’s attacking alchemy, their defensive record is perhaps taken for granted.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
One game, especially one so dominated by the defense, certainly isn’t enough to decide whether this is even an issue, but noted QB whisperer O’Connell has to be stroking his chin.—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
After an extended run of mediocre at best — and at worst, totally anemic — releases, 2024’s Call of Duty felt like a breath of fresh air, if only by default.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The latter’s video focused on her seatmate, whose infectious giggles and wheezing breaths—which one commenter joked sounded like the engine—became the soundtrack to the plane fault.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The dog was panting and shifting from one foot to the other.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The city, which is the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, is rich in porticoes—elegant arcaded structures that line the streets and allow the panting pedestrian, at any point, to flee the sunlight’s blaze and seek shade.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Enjoy flavored nuts, such as those that are candied, glazed, or honied, in moderation.—
Selene Yeager,
Health,
24 Feb. 2024
Verb
-
When your shoulders ache or feel stiff, your first instinct might be to stretch or massage them.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication, massage the area, do gentle stretches, or place ice or heating packs in 20- to 30-minute bouts on your body.—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Fiala congratulated Babis and conceded defeat.—
Reuters 3 hr ago,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
-
After Swift’s engagement to NFL player Travis Kelce went public in August, local establishments such as Pursuit Spirits and Ten20 Craft Brewery congratulated the famous couple with cheeky Instagram posts.—
Amanda Hancock,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puff. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share