as in interpretations
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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Recent Examples of riffs
Sonically, the track (produced and composed by Gavilan) is a melancholic grassroots folk song accompanied by weeping guitar riffs and a heart-pounding cajón.
—
Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2026
This is a brand new offering that hopefully will be home for a lot of great ideas and lyrics and guitar riffs that will then inspire people a hundred years from now.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, overqualified singers like Ravyn Lenae, Mustafa, and Omar Apollo do some of the background vocal riffs that Harlow’s limited range won’t reach.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 17 Mar. 2026
David asked to join our call with Peter Callahan and his team, who presented a parade of playful, bite-sized riffs on classic dishes, designed for passing and stations since we’d opted against a seated dinner.
—Rachel Hodin, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
In testing, the ominous backbeat drove the track, while the screeching riffs and vocals stood against it.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026
Over six feet tall and skinny, with a mass of reddish curls, Fleming leaps and bounds across stage while delivering riffs on the bitmoji skills of baby boomers, ballads dedicated to deceased chain craft store Joann’s Fabrics, and Celine Dion’s gamer sons.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
Laura managed to jot the trumpet part into a notebook, but by then, Sun Ra’s riffs had changed.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
The drink menu is divided into familiar categories — martini, negroni, spritz, highball, collins, sour, old-fashioned — and each is led by the classic iteration, followed by several riffs on the category.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 13 Feb. 2026
Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2026
This is a brand new offering that hopefully will be home for a lot of great ideas and lyrics and guitar riffs that will then inspire people a hundred years from now.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, overqualified singers like Ravyn Lenae, Mustafa, and Omar Apollo do some of the background vocal riffs that Harlow’s limited range won’t reach.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 17 Mar. 2026
David asked to join our call with Peter Callahan and his team, who presented a parade of playful, bite-sized riffs on classic dishes, designed for passing and stations since we’d opted against a seated dinner.
—Rachel Hodin, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
In testing, the ominous backbeat drove the track, while the screeching riffs and vocals stood against it.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026
Over six feet tall and skinny, with a mass of reddish curls, Fleming leaps and bounds across stage while delivering riffs on the bitmoji skills of baby boomers, ballads dedicated to deceased chain craft store Joann’s Fabrics, and Celine Dion’s gamer sons.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
Laura managed to jot the trumpet part into a notebook, but by then, Sun Ra’s riffs had changed.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
The drink menu is divided into familiar categories — martini, negroni, spritz, highball, collins, sour, old-fashioned — and each is led by the classic iteration, followed by several riffs on the category.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riffs
Noun
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Attorneys for the city and the organizers shared conflicting interpretations on how the data center tax breaks should be classified.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
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There are new interpretations of his signature (excellent) trousers.—
Alice Cary,
Vogue,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Those variations came down to either a deal that kept the 24-year-old with the organization for the rest of his career or through his first two free-agent years.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
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But there are some regional variations; first prize in Tokyo, for example, is 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of tuna.—
Trista Kurniawan,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Everyone records their own takes and the best moments are selected from there, almost like an audition process.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
24 Mar. 2026
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And the three main villains are impressively restrained compared to the cartoonish mustache twirlers that have populated previous takes.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Lenney opposed earlier versions of the bill, too.—
Mark Dee
March 28,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Entry-level versions come equipped with Chery’s Falcon 200 intelligent driving assistance system, while mid-range variants move up to the more capable Falcon 500 setup.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Riffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riffs. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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