as in interpretation
a distinct treatment of something (as a story or a play)
a mock news program with humorous riffs on current events
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of riff
For her performance, Clarkson sported a Buffalo Bills jacket — a nod to that day’s guest, Hailee Steinfeld, who is engaged to quarterback Josh Allen — and kept her vocal arrangement free of any of her signature high notes or riffs, letting the humor of Crow’s lyrics speak for itself.
—
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2025
How a British Dad Made Comedy Gold: George Lewis’s riffs on the absurdities of millennial parenting — and the inner lives of 2-year-olds — have won him legions of fans online and galvanized his once middling stand-up career.
—Silvana Paternostro Nathalia Angarita, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Her riffs on seemingly objective inscriptions and notations for sound and motion, often paired with handwritten lettering or musical symbols, point back not just to the body of the maker, but to her cultural world.
—Mara Mills, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
Since then, the Gretzky reckoning has been chronicled in Canada with social media riffs, memes and newspaper editorials.
—Matthew J. Friedman, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riff
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2025
How a British Dad Made Comedy Gold: George Lewis’s riffs on the absurdities of millennial parenting — and the inner lives of 2-year-olds — have won him legions of fans online and galvanized his once middling stand-up career.
—Silvana Paternostro Nathalia Angarita, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Her riffs on seemingly objective inscriptions and notations for sound and motion, often paired with handwritten lettering or musical symbols, point back not just to the body of the maker, but to her cultural world.
—Mara Mills, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
Since then, the Gretzky reckoning has been chronicled in Canada with social media riffs, memes and newspaper editorials.
—Matthew J. Friedman, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riff
Noun
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Once hypothesized as a jellyfish, fungus or even a giant protist, science now favors an animal interpretation.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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In Vogue's interpretation of the Met's production, which opens December 14, Hansel and Gretel are played by actor Andrew Garfield and model Lily Cole.—
Hamish Bowles,
Vogue,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Molina says some explanations for the disparities could be variation in access to prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum care, as well as in state Medicaid coverage.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
9 Apr. 2025
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Over the years, Puppy Chow variations have popped up almost as robustly as stalks in a corn field.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The once-daily version of the pill was in early-stage testing, with researchers trying to figure out the best dose for patients, a spokeswoman said.—
Time,
Time,
15 Apr. 2025
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My body has changed—and is changing, like it's being slowly replaced by a similar but slightly less cooperative version.—
Liz Krieger,
Allure,
15 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riff. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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