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
Those themes are compelling on paper, but they’re expressed through a confusing mix of abstraction and hyper-local specificity, hidden beneath biker rock riffs, and obscured through Allbrook’s wiry, wailing vocal delivery.
—
Cassidy Sollazzo, Pitchfork, 19 June 2026
Vocals have an offhand nonchalance instead of hogging the spotlight, melodies sneak up on you rather than announce themselves, and the guitars avoid crunchy riffs and overdriven twang in favor of tart rambling and clean supporting chords.
—Reed Jackson, SPIN, 19 June 2026
Expect riffs on the Persian frittata kuku sabzi, a variant of the toad in the hole involving shakshuka, plus sabich reconceived in bagel form.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026
As with the studio version, the track began with Lifeson plucking out a delicate intro on a nylon-string guitar before blasting into monster electric riffs.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 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
His movies are goofs, larks, stunts, knowingly arch bizarro-world riffs.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 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
Cassidy Sollazzo, Pitchfork, 19 June 2026
Vocals have an offhand nonchalance instead of hogging the spotlight, melodies sneak up on you rather than announce themselves, and the guitars avoid crunchy riffs and overdriven twang in favor of tart rambling and clean supporting chords.
—Reed Jackson, SPIN, 19 June 2026
Expect riffs on the Persian frittata kuku sabzi, a variant of the toad in the hole involving shakshuka, plus sabich reconceived in bagel form.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026
As with the studio version, the track began with Lifeson plucking out a delicate intro on a nylon-string guitar before blasting into monster electric riffs.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 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
His movies are goofs, larks, stunts, knowingly arch bizarro-world riffs.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 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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Many of them are variations on the amount of silver in the leaves, or the pattern the silver coloration makes.—
Dr. Matthew Lisy,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2026
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The second area focuses on custom development, where engineers will design new battery cell variations specifically to meet the unique safety standards, structural dimensions, and weight limitations required for commercial aerospace applications.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
20 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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One of Wood’s earliest conversations with Reid centered on abandoning the heeled footwear that helped define earlier versions of the character.—
Precious Fondren,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
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The House and Senate committee versions of the defense policy bill, the latter of which was just released Tuesday, largely align with the White House’s Pentagon budget request.—
Julia Gledhill,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Riffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riffs. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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