riffs

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 Henery and Alex Dow’s guitar riffs steal the show, supporting his words through a wistful, heavy bridge. Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 15 July 2026 But save room for some new riffs on pork that appear in 2026, including the Porky Pileup at the Stockman’s Inn for $15. Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 9 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 Guests may see beverages like an old fashioned featuring West Bottoms Whiskey, as well as fruit-forward riffs on other classic cocktails. Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026 Singer-songwriter and guitarist Nick DiSalvo’s plaintive vocals and snaking riffs can gently suggest thoughtful indie rock or tense up to show off more doom-adjacent roots. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 July 2026 Castle Rat have begun some preliminary planning and writing for their next album, piling up new riffs at jam sessions. Steve Appleford, SPIN, 29 June 2026 Despite the intensity of the film, watching Folland and Halley fall for each other over ice cream and guitar riffs is absolutely adorable. Liam Hess, Vogue, 28 June 2026 Bassist Dominic DiGesu and drummer Max Bassin make up a top-notch rhythm section, while guitarist Emily Green constantly solos, sometimes doubling Winter’s playing, other times providing melodic riffs. Steve Knopper, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riffs
Noun
  • Critics say the deal was too vague, leaving both sides with different interpretations that helped drive the latest fighting.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 14 July 2026
  • And so there’s lots of different interpretations to any lyric within the record.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 13 July 2026
Noun
  • Data center power infrastructure provider Dimaag, for example, presented in April a way to protect the grid from AI’s massive load variations, which can switch from almost nothing to hundreds of megawatts and back again several times per second.
    Drew Robb, IEEE Spectrum, 16 July 2026
  • Five neutral color variations all come in a linen blend, but olive’s grounding tones are speaking most to us.
    Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 16 July 2026
Noun
  • Cocoa High defensive end Elyias Wilson proved to be too quick for the competition Saturday at the Orlando Trench Kings event, a football linemen competition with a winner-takes-all prize of $1,000.
    Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 July 2026
  • So the pair enlisted legendary singers like Tina Turner and Macy Gray to lay down takes, but Davis was after a different, newer sound.
    Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026
Noun
  • China and Russia are working on their own versions of Starlink, but neither is close to fielding anywhere near SpaceX’s current constellation of more than 10,000 satellites.
    Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2026
  • Keytruda is set to lose key patent protections starting in 2028, exposing the company to competition from potential less expensive biosimilar versions of the drug.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Riffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riffs. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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