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
And don’t forget to book a table at the bijou Il Piccolo restaurant, comprising just nine tables to offer—in the spirit of Violino d’Oro more broadly—subtle, meticulously executed riffs on classic Venetian fare and the flavors of the lagoon.
—
Liam Hess, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2025
With their wireless guitars, Bobby Guerrero, also known as El Gallo, and Zapata weaved through the crowd playing psychedelic guitar riffs.
—Ivan Kashinsky, NPR, 8 Oct. 2025
Written by Morello, the song features his haunting vocals and signature captivating guitar riffs.
—Natalia Cano, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2025
During the decade since, even more home cooks have been in a committed relationship with creative riffs like Marry Me Chicken Soup, Marry Me Chicken Pasta Salad, and Marry Me Chicken Pasta.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Oct. 2025
Throughout the performance, Clarkson could be heard delivering some stellar vocal riffs in between the actor’s pearls of wisdom.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
Of course, with precisely sketched social worlds, deep character development, and plots that turn ideas into narrative, novelists can always find new riffs on old themes.
—Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2025
Low, ominous bass riffs giving way to a distorted wail of electric guitar signaled that this was the juncture in American history when the gloves came off and the real ass-kicking began.
—Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Fans began cheering as soon as the guitar riffs started, and sang every word of Dua’s cover of the 1978 track with her and her band, all clad in black.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
Liam Hess, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2025
With their wireless guitars, Bobby Guerrero, also known as El Gallo, and Zapata weaved through the crowd playing psychedelic guitar riffs.
—Ivan Kashinsky, NPR, 8 Oct. 2025
Written by Morello, the song features his haunting vocals and signature captivating guitar riffs.
—Natalia Cano, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2025
During the decade since, even more home cooks have been in a committed relationship with creative riffs like Marry Me Chicken Soup, Marry Me Chicken Pasta Salad, and Marry Me Chicken Pasta.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Oct. 2025
Throughout the performance, Clarkson could be heard delivering some stellar vocal riffs in between the actor’s pearls of wisdom.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
Of course, with precisely sketched social worlds, deep character development, and plots that turn ideas into narrative, novelists can always find new riffs on old themes.
—Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2025
Low, ominous bass riffs giving way to a distorted wail of electric guitar signaled that this was the juncture in American history when the gloves came off and the real ass-kicking began.
—Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Fans began cheering as soon as the guitar riffs started, and sang every word of Dua’s cover of the 1978 track with her and her band, all clad in black.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riffs
Noun
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The Western look continues to have a stronghold on brands as well as its more refined interpretations.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
17 Oct. 2025
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TikTok users flooded the comments section with laughter and playful interpretations of the dog’s behavior, charmed by the pet’s timing and apparent misunderstanding of the task at hand.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Available in 12 faux hair and thong color variations with straight and curly textures, the thongs are currently sold out on the Skims website.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
15 Oct. 2025
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As the costs of these analyses went down and sample sizes went up, researchers identified many tiny but statistically significant associations between these small genetic variations and intelligence.—
Eric Turkheimer,
The Atlantic,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Writing badly is also like watching different versions of director’s cuts or seeing different takes of the same scene.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
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There are takes that drag on and on, such as one of Dern biting into a weed cookie, that could have used more editorial discipline.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In addition to the arrival of the four flavors in product form, Milk Bar will offer the edible versions.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
14 Oct. 2025
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The British and American versions also have different plot points, further confusing the matter, but the score has endured and developed a cult-following.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riffs. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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