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 McCollough thought Watts was a comedic genius, and the pair shared a similar sense of humor, establishing their own bits and improvisational riffs. Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026 Diners hop from neighborhood to neighborhood sampling everything from upscale tasting menus to casual comfort-food riffs. Marissa Payne, Des Moines Register, 12 Aug. 2026 John Carpenter’s dazzling epic riffs on everything from Howard Hawks to crime serials. Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026 Across 17 tracks, guitar riffs curdle into sheets of distortion, melodies dissolve into electronic hiss, and grooves are chronically interrupted by fresh rhythmic detours. Arman Khan, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026 Surf-rock riffs, punctuated with pockets of silence, eventually slacken in tempo for a glorious, slo-mo finish. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 30 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riffs
Noun
  • One may reasonably surmise that the city’s corporation counsel is weighing whether Bally’s contract interpretations need to be decided by a judge.
    Joe Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The result is a sprawling theory combining paranoid interpretations of current events with historical conspiracies.
    Matthew N. Hannah, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The three main sectarian deities have numerous avatars, local forms, and variations.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Closer to home, Roman will monitor small variations in light from stars near the center of the Milky Way galaxy in order to infer the presence of rogue planets drifting between the stars.
    Don Figer, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • These are all newish shows from the past year or two with great energy and original takes.
    Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Four critic reviews are in, which technically give it a 100%, but there certainly needs to be a bit more time given for those takes.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The system saves checkpoints during training so developers can compare different versions instead of automatically selecting the final model.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The bill has cleared both the House and Senate, but differences between the two versions would need to be resolved before final passage.
    Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Riffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riffs. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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