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
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Recent Examples of riffs
At their core, Rush were always about glorious musical excess, routinely cramming more riffs and time signatures into single songs than some bands managed on entire albums.
—
Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2026
When done well, those moments can be as important to the world of an album as the riffs and blast beats.
—Brad Sanders, Pitchfork, 8 June 2026
Scary Movie, the latest entry in the beloved horror parody franchise, is overloaded with riffs, digs, plays, and puns on modern cinema.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026
Food and drink The fifth-floor BAHR with its open kitchen showcases his distinctive flavor combinations with plates like prawn rissoles (a Portuguese snack) as well as riffs on traditional dishes like pork with clams.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Corgan was still dreaming of monster riffs in the vein of Jimmy Page balanced out with the goth sensibilities of bands like the Cure.
—David Harris, SPIN, 2 June 2026
His movies are goofs, larks, stunts, knowingly arch bizarro-world riffs.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 May 2026
In theory, this is a time for quiet reflection, to let those opening raucous religious riffs wash over you.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Ahead, 11 highly quaffable recipes—from martini riffs to sour variations—for welcoming the new year in high spirits.
—Boutayna Chokrane, Vogue, 29 Dec. 2024
Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2026
When done well, those moments can be as important to the world of an album as the riffs and blast beats.
—Brad Sanders, Pitchfork, 8 June 2026
Scary Movie, the latest entry in the beloved horror parody franchise, is overloaded with riffs, digs, plays, and puns on modern cinema.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026
Food and drink The fifth-floor BAHR with its open kitchen showcases his distinctive flavor combinations with plates like prawn rissoles (a Portuguese snack) as well as riffs on traditional dishes like pork with clams.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Corgan was still dreaming of monster riffs in the vein of Jimmy Page balanced out with the goth sensibilities of bands like the Cure.
—David Harris, SPIN, 2 June 2026
His movies are goofs, larks, stunts, knowingly arch bizarro-world riffs.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 May 2026
In theory, this is a time for quiet reflection, to let those opening raucous religious riffs wash over you.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Ahead, 11 highly quaffable recipes—from martini riffs to sour variations—for welcoming the new year in high spirits.
—Boutayna Chokrane, Vogue, 29 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riffs
Noun
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Assistive-listening devices and hearing loops are available for deaf or hard-of-hearing visitors, and closed captioning and on-screen American Sign Language interpretations for digital media exhibits and films are included in the museum's galleries.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
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Such interpretations help sustain a story that still feels like a reinterpretation of the original series, providing outlets for original thought in a quagmire of iteration.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
15 June 2026
Noun
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The expensive physical variations will be handed over to the iPhone Ultra.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
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The flickering of the quasar at different wavelengths is connected to variations in the temperature of the gas swirling around this black hole.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Producer Greer Simpkin noted that the swarms of flies visible throughout required no visual effects – the location was so badly infested that cast and crew regularly swallowed them during takes.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 June 2026
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From fresh pops to beachside takes, the shade is everywhere this season.—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
15 June 2026
Noun
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Hopefully, future versions will be even more capable of handling unpredictable natural environments.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
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While early versions of the martini leaned toward the sweeter side, often involving , sweet Italian vermouth, time changed the martini.—
Aly Walansky,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Riffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riffs. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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