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
The fun cocktail list, which offers riffs on classic drinks like Negronis and whiskey sours, proved more consistent.
—
Restaurant Critic, Houston Chronicle, 8 Apr. 2026
Her Three Decibel Rule cocktail mixes Ketel One vodka and Cocchi Americano aperitif wine with lychee and crème fraîche; a nonalcoholic Cloud 9 drink riffs on the classic citrusy and creamy Ramos gin fizz.
—Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
But that spontaneity is balanced out with canny studio manipulation by producer Scotty Hard, who juxtaposes grooves and riffs and knits songs together, finding through lines and punctuating disjunctions.
—Reed Jackson, SPIN, 30 Mar. 2026
The Italian metal extremist has been going down a rabbit hole of his own with a series of highly technical I, Voidhanger releases marked by extraterrestrial synth work and winding, stop-on-a-dime riffs.
—Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 30 Mar. 2026
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
Featuring incoherent lyrics accompanied by experimental guitar riffs and hardcore drum fills, it was recorded in San Antonio without the Matthews brothers, reportedly because of a physical altercation between the brothers and Haynes.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 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
Restaurant Critic, Houston Chronicle, 8 Apr. 2026
Her Three Decibel Rule cocktail mixes Ketel One vodka and Cocchi Americano aperitif wine with lychee and crème fraîche; a nonalcoholic Cloud 9 drink riffs on the classic citrusy and creamy Ramos gin fizz.
—Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
But that spontaneity is balanced out with canny studio manipulation by producer Scotty Hard, who juxtaposes grooves and riffs and knits songs together, finding through lines and punctuating disjunctions.
—Reed Jackson, SPIN, 30 Mar. 2026
The Italian metal extremist has been going down a rabbit hole of his own with a series of highly technical I, Voidhanger releases marked by extraterrestrial synth work and winding, stop-on-a-dime riffs.
—Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 30 Mar. 2026
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
Featuring incoherent lyrics accompanied by experimental guitar riffs and hardcore drum fills, it was recorded in San Antonio without the Matthews brothers, reportedly because of a physical altercation between the brothers and Haynes.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riffs
Noun
-
Director Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi epic remains open to many different interpretations and may seem ponderous to modern audiences.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Each property has its own restoration story, but all began as working farms rather than aesthetic interpretations.—
Christine Chitnis,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Try different plank variations and Pallof presses.—
Christa Sgobba,
Health,
17 Apr. 2026
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The Coca-Cola branding printed on clothes, coasters and posters has variations in the languages and alphabets used in the design, made to be recognized whether someone is seeing it in Chicago, Dhaka or Casablanca.—
Mariah Franklin,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That forced him to adjust his shooting process, relying on longer takes and shorter shot lists to maximize everyone’s time to experiment.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
17 Apr. 2026
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Real-life experiences, humorous takes, social commentary, voices, and characters.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The mandolin quartet was developed, mixing treble and bass versions of the instrument, and the technique of the tremolo was taken to new heights of sophistication.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
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In addition to the fully electric lineup, BYD will also introduce plug-in hybrid versions of the Great Tang built on its DM-i and DM-p powertrain systems.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Riffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riffs. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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