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waft 1 of 2

noun

Definition of waftnext
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

waft

2 of 2

verb

ˈwäft How to pronounce waft (audio)
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
Spritz it in the morning and prepare for subtle, spa-like wafts of forest floor throughout the day. — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 4 Aug. 2026 Nearby, the scents of carne asada and carnitas waft out of taquerias, inviting those nearby to stop in for a meal. — Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 31 July 2026
Verb
Meanwhile top women’s seed Aryna Sabalenka complained when the smell of marijuana wafted from crowd to court. — Greg Cote september 6, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2026 Rarely has a film so resourcefully evoked the transportive but decidedly analog thrill of reading; rarely has the warmly musty smell of research libraries and archives somehow wafted with such sense-memory precision off a cinema screen. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for waft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waft
  1. breeze
  2. hover
  3. puff
  4. sail
  5. breath
  6. float
  7. drift
  8. swim
Noun
  • Gusts up to 35 mph out of the north are possible, with the breeze pushing south toward Fresno.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Each kit includes 36 pre-bonded clusters—enough for six applications—plus a non-stick applicator that makes placement a breeze.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of breeze
Verb
  • Architect Ma Yansong's big, billowing building almost seems to hover around and envelop the surrounding structures, including the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
  • During Friday night's game against Wake Forest, Mensah set an ACC record with 24 straight completions and has been hovering above the 90% mark in that category for most of the season.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of hover
Noun
  • Fleece rugbies are on offer alongside Denali full- and half-zips, and big puff is accounted for through a Pertex Nuptse.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Mamma’s chole, or chickpeas, become intensely infused, served with a golden puff of crispy poori bread, the recipe adapted from Sukhu Kalra’s mother, Virender Kaur.
    — Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of puff
Verb
  • And a 26-year-old naturalist named Charles Darwin arrived aboard the British Royal Navy ship HMS Beagle, which had sailed from England nearly four years earlier on a mission to chart South America.
    — Michele Metych Britannica Editors Sep. 14, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The onslaught effectively forced the container shipping industry to avoid the Suez Canal altogether, with ocean carriers instead opting to sail a longer route around southern Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of sail
Noun
  • With just 26 seconds remaining in Wednesday night’s season opener against the New England Patriots, star Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba held his breath, hoping desperately that Seattle’s defense would step up.
    — Andrew Destin, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Inside, a speakeasy-style bar room, pool table, and grand piano invite long evenings of conversation, while the deck, sauna, and BBQ beg for one last breath of time spent outside.
    — Madeline Weinfield, Vogue, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of breath
Verb
  • Soon, the pincher floats free of her consciousness, briefly inhabiting the mind of Pola or Ines before flickering back into herself.
    — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • This half is the result of genetic material that can clip itself out of the DNA sequence, float off, and re-root somewhere else.
    — Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of float
Verb
  • Our low, bargelike vessel drifts serenely, unhurriedly along the brown river.
    — Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
  • So why did reporters drift in waves to his locker after the game at Arrowhead Stadium?
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of drift
Verb
  • The fish folds its body, trying to turn or swim, the water nudging overtop.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Those fishing off the Malibu Pier were surprised in mid-August by a hammerhead shark swimming nearby.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of swim

Browse Nearby Words

waffling
waft
wafted
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Cite this Entry

“Waft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waft. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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