scoffing

Definition of scoffingnext
present participle of scoff
as in devouring
to swallow or eat greedily scoffed dinner before running off to the basketball game

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 scoffing That was fun, drinking from a bone china tea set and scoffing jam scones in a quaint village cafe on the edge of the Lake District. Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026 Whether scoffing the fisherman's haul at Ristorante Bar la Vela, margaritas and caper paté at Kaya Kaya overlooking the harbor of Scauri, or simply scrambling onto a rocky perch with a cold beer. Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026 The 30-second spot shows Hughes, Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger, Colorado defenseman Cale Makar and Boston forward Charlie McAvoy in a classroom setting, asking questions and scoffing at the notion that AI can compare to NHL hockey. Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 25 Dec. 2025 Ackman’s dating advice isn’t the first interaction with a scoffing public. Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 17 Nov. 2025 Too bad the in-laws are scoffing at the necessity of a pool fence. Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scoffing
Verb
  • Matias Cid, a 25-year-old student who lives in Penco, described fast-moving flames burning through the night and devouring homes.
    CBS News, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026
  • Kelson sees the fragments of the individual left in this person the virus has turned into a brain-devouring behemoth and wonders at them.
    Alison Willmore, Vulture, 17 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Nearly all the health damage from smoking comes from inhaling smoke produced by burning tobacco, not from nicotine itself.
    Kevin Bardosh, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2026
  • Keep peppermint oil away from babies and young children, as inhaling the menthol in the oil may cause serious side effects for them.
    Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 14 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Protostars are messy and dynamic, gulping down material in spurts and fits and ejecting powerful outflows of wind and jets that punch into the surrounding clouds.
    Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 16 Jan. 2026
  • The cayenne pepper lingers on the tongue for a full minute after gulping the shot down.
    April Benshosan, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Dec. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Scoffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scoffing. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.

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