Thesaurus results for RIFF

riff

noun

ˈrif

Definition of riff

as in interpretation

a distinct treatment of something (as a story or a play) a mock news program with humorous riffs on current events

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 riff If there was any rust on the outfit from nine years of inactivity, it was knocked off the instant the song’s trademark chiming riff gave way to the thwack of Lynch’s snare drum, bringing the band to life. — Adam Gold, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2026 McNeely’s riff shows a toe (flexed, as ever) hoisted from the ceiling, the rest of the figure an illegible mass of guts and bones. — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 18 Sep. 2026 Related Stories Taking its English-language title as a kind of literal riff on the Oscar-winning 1950 film All About Eve, the film has a similar story angle. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026 There was something carnivalesque about Marcia’s intellectual riffs. — Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for riff

Recent Examples of Synonyms for riff

Noun

Today, Olde Naples Hotel rises beside its historic predecessor as a new-build interpretation rather than a reconstruction.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
This perception of threat, intertwined with a harsh interpretation of religious morality, dominated 17th-century life, with the optimistic, protective and compassionate aspects of Christianity often overpowered by fear and a desire to judge.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of interpretation

Noun

This bag is very optimized and has the potential to have many variations.

— Miles Socha, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
As a result, there are too many schools with too much variation in the quality of administration and too many differing standards for teachers and students.

— Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of variation

Noun

Grab the pants in a classic blue wash, white à la Stewart, or in a brown shade inspired by Middleton’s version.

— Annie Blackman, InStyle, 29 Sep. 2026
The impulse to hate, rather than love, thy neighbor—especially one who practiced a different version of the same faith—was also depressingly strong.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of version

Browse Nearby Words

rife

riff

riffle

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Riff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riff. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of riff

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

slew

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes