WAFT Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

waft 1 of 2

noun

Definition of waft

as in breeze

a slight or gentle movement of air wafts carrying the scent of spring flowers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

calm

waft

2 of 2

verb

ˈwäft

as in to hover

to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air a feather wafted past us and settled on the grass

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 waft

Noun

At lunchtime, Bosnian and English bounce between the tables while delicious aromas waft in from the kitchen. — Timothy Depeugh, Southern Living, 25 July 2026 There are flies, rats and, if the wind shifts every so slightly, a waft of thick, nauseating air from the warehouse. — Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026

Verb

The plinking of a piano wafted in from the Music Hall by the water’s edge. — Lila Harron Battis, Travel + Leisure, 23 July 2026 At the peak, more than 100 million Americans — from the Midwest to the East Coast — were under serious air-quality alerts from the smoke, which wafted into the states from Canada, where thousands of Ontario residents were evacuated. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for waft

Recent Examples of Synonyms for waft

Noun

Palm trees abound; a perpetual breeze and a soundtrack of chirping birds complement the luscious grounds.

— Baz Dreisinger, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
The sandy shores of Pawleys Island and Litchfield Beach are about 20 minutes away, but afternoons on the porch, appreciating the breezes that come in off the Winyah Bay and the connecting rivers, are just as peaceful.

— Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of breeze

Verb

In addition, jobless claims have hovered around 200,000 a week, and the number of job openings has been rising over the past six months, Slok pointed out.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026
No one will string the words together and actually say it out loud, but as former players and Campbell tap-dance around the uncomfortable question about what’s changed, the message hovering between the lines is not difficult to read.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of hover

Noun

But Winn left a pitch over the middle that Trammell hit for a leadoff triple in the eighth, Nick Allen’s sacrifice fly gave the Astros the lead, and in the ninth, Koss’ fly ball needed one more puff of breeze.

— Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Of course, with that, as CA AG Rob Bonta made clear in a guest column for Deadline, Paamount is still facing an antitrust trial next spring that could see the whole ParaBros dream disappear in a puff of judicial smoke.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of puff

Verb

The incident took place earlier this month when a vessel was sailing in a fjord in northeastern Svalbard, around 620 miles from the North Pole.

— CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
However, tankers bound for Asia from the Mediterranean must sail around Africa, adding roughly 25 days to the journey compared with the Bab-el Mandeb route.

— , CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of sail

Noun

In the same breath, though, there are the guarantees that hold an attraction.

— Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
That’s when Way mutters the p-word — under his breath for plausible deniability, but certainly still with the intention of being heard, smirking at the sound of my laughter.

— Selome Hailu, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of breath

Verb

Jaissle is likely to have his own prospective midfield names, too, who were not actively being floated before he was appointed.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
But that identical physical phenomenon might soon change how miniature robots fly, float, and navigate complex environments.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of float

Browse Nearby Words

waffling

waft

wafted

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Style

“Waft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waft. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of waft

noun

verb

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