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
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
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Recent Examples of waft
Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
The days get shorter, a cold chill moves through the air, string lights sparkle in your neighborhood, a faint waft of pine floats your way, and inexplicably Kevin Spacey appears to do an odd bit of press.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2025
Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
The ‘incident’ consisted of King wafting a hand at Slattery, who did a cracking job (above) of making zero meaningful contact look like a stiff right hand from Mike Tyson.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for waft
Noun
Artisanal, electric energy has occupied the grand bones of this intoxicating city, with young creatives animating the unbuttoned cafés and bars filling its old town’s squares—the air always hot and heavy with wafts of arancini and zucchini fritti.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
The days get shorter, a cold chill moves through the air, string lights sparkle in your neighborhood, a faint waft of pine floats your way, and inexplicably Kevin Spacey appears to do an odd bit of press.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2025
Verb
As David Miranda huddled in his Airbnb in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, the smell of smoke wafted through the window.
—Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
The ‘incident’ consisted of King wafting a hand at Slattery, who did a cracking job (above) of making zero meaningful contact look like a stiff right hand from Mike Tyson.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for waft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waft
Noun
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Plus, preparing it the night before makes Sunday morning a breeze.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
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That way, your wardrobe will be equally prepared for a cool summer breeze as for those frigid winter days.—
Genevieve Cepeda,
InStyle,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Alcohol spending as a share of household budgets is also hovering at near 40-year lows, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that was cited in the report.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
5 Mar. 2026
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The 54-year-old comedian with a beard full of gray stubble drops back to pass, launching a tight spiral underneath SoFi’s massive technicolor halo scoreboard hovering above a sea of empty stands.—
Deputy Entertainment,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The bride wore a princess-worthy gown with dramatic puff sleeves and a 25-foot train.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
25 Feb. 2026
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The premise comes with two prime marks built-in — gambling in professional sports and puff-piece documentary profiles — plus the genre offers its own satiric opportunities.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Approximately 6,700 passengers will get to set sail on three- or four-night itineraries, with Disney Adventure's maiden voyage getting underway March 10, sailing from its home port of Singapore.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
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That often sails round-trip from Seattle or Vancouver with stops such as Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Slow down and take a moment to catch your breath.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
4 Mar. 2026
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Stock futures were mixed Thursday as traders caught their breath after a strong performance in the previous session and kept an eye on oil rising prices.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The 80-foot-long grinning behemoth floating in a roadside pond was built as an anniversary gift for the owner’s whale-loving wife.—
Zoey Goto,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
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The procession featured drums, dancing and floats celebrating the vibrancy of the Chinese American community in the oldest celebration of its kind outside Asia and one of the largest.—
Jane Tyska,
Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While both candidates occupied the party’s progressive flank, Talarico presented himself as a Democrat who could speak the language of faith and values to voters who have drifted rightward in recent years.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
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Breakfast patios overlook rafters drifting by; anglers cast from stone embankments; kayakers practice freestyle moves at the whitewater park in the middle of it all.—
Ted Alvarez,
Outside,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Sharks, whales, rays, turtles, dolphins, and even the rare dugong (a manatee-like creature) swim these stunning seas alongside hundreds of species of fish.—
Melanie van Zyl,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Mar. 2026
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For fish tables, players aim to shoot different fish types swimming across the screen using a virtual cannon or gun.—
Scott Butler,
Florida Times-Union,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waft. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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