riffs

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 riffs Behind the heavy riffs and battered drums is a think piece about the anxiety that can come with success and the crippling doubt of imposter syndrome. — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 27 Aug. 2026 Moon Bar’s menu offers the classics, as well as riffs on those drinks, like the addition of miso shiso honey to an old fashioned. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026 McCollough thought Watts was a comedic genius, and the pair shared a similar sense of humor, establishing their own bits and improvisational riffs. — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026 Diners hop from neighborhood to neighborhood sampling everything from upscale tasting menus to casual comfort-food riffs. — Marissa Payne, Des Moines Register, 12 Aug. 2026 John Carpenter’s dazzling epic riffs on everything from Howard Hawks to crime serials. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026 Across 17 tracks, guitar riffs curdle into sheets of distortion, melodies dissolve into electronic hiss, and grooves are chronically interrupted by fresh rhythmic detours. — Arman Khan, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026 Surf-rock riffs, punctuated with pockets of silence, eventually slacken in tempo for a glorious, slo-mo finish. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 The room is overtaken with projections, scenes of bustling New York traffic paired with bachelor-pad-like guitar riffs. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riffs
  1. interpretations
  2. variations
  3. takes
  4. versions
Noun
  • One may reasonably surmise that the city’s corporation counsel is weighing whether Bally’s contract interpretations need to be decided by a judge.
    — Joe Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The result is a sprawling theory combining paranoid interpretations of current events with historical conspiracies.
    — Matthew N. Hannah, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of interpretations
Noun
  • The three main sectarian deities have numerous avatars, local forms, and variations.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Closer to home, Roman will monitor small variations in light from stars near the center of the Milky Way galaxy in order to infer the presence of rogue planets drifting between the stars.
    — Don Figer, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of variations
Noun
  • The best part of the recording, though, is hearing the old friends crack each other up in between tossing off casually brilliant takes of a classic in the making.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
  • First presented at the tail end of sessions for 2023’s In Times New Roman, it was captured on the second of just two takes, preserving a loose, instinctive performance from Homme, Troy Van Leeuwen, Michael Shuman, Dean Fertita and Jon Theodore.
    — Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of takes
Noun
  • The system saves checkpoints during training so developers can compare different versions instead of automatically selecting the final model.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The bill has cleared both the House and Senate, but differences between the two versions would need to be resolved before final passage.
    — Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of versions

Browse Nearby Words

riffraff
riffs
rifle
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Cite this Entry

“Riffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riffs. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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