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
There was a sense of endings at St James’ Park; not definitive, not complete, but persuasive, a final home game for Kieran Trippier as a Newcastle player, and a feeble waft of farewell in the colour of claret. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 18 May 2026 Assayas is, above all, an urbane filmmaker, with no room for discourse so crude or interruption so abrupt as to let the winds of history waft through his film unperfumed. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 13 May 2026
Verb
Even on a recent work day, the smell of sunscreen wafted through the air as people hauled rafts to the water and filled out forms. — Carolyn Komatsoulis updated July 7, Idaho Statesman, 7 July 2026 No smoke wafting through the parking lots, which included multiple empty sections. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 17 June 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
  • There’s a warm (sometimes, too warm) breeze in the air, the days stretch long into the evenings, and every landscape seems to burst with color—there’s simply no season quite like the summertime for a gathering.
    — Alexandra Ditch, Vogue, 20 July 2026
  • Lee builds a drone that simply lingers in the background, moving the way a morning breeze might, then plays against it.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 20 July 2026
Definition of breeze
Verb
  • As a result, the average restaurant profit margin now hovers between a precarious 3% and 5%, and industry data suggests that up to 42% of restaurants are currently struggling just to stay in the black.
    — Robert Messer, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • With the global benchmark for oil currently hovering near $90 per barrel, China’s dramatic dip in oil exports—by close to 4 million barrels daily—is the biggest reason why prices aren’t much higher.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 31 July 2026
Definition of hover
Noun
  • The puff sleeves add a dainty touch while simultaneously offering more coverage, and the loose and flowy style won’t feel restricting or stuffy in hot weather.
    — Anna Traver, InStyle, 25 July 2026
  • More impressively, Melton manages to exhale a puff of smoke so thick that cinematographer Magnus Nordenhof Jønck can still see it through the set’s fog.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Definition of puff
Verb
  • Travelers could choose to either sail around the continent and come through Panama or cross the continent by horse and wagon.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 30 July 2026
  • Murray sailed a throw down the left sideline in Jefferson’s direction.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of sail
Noun
  • The important part is elevating your heart rate and getting a little out of breath.
    — Jenessa Connor, Health, 21 July 2026
  • Living through the earthquakes felt like battling cancer and being struck by two cars in the same breath.
    — Rafael Osío Cabrices, Time, 20 July 2026
Definition of breath
Verb
  • Debuting first on Edge and back again on Beyond, the Magic Carpet is a tennis-court sized platform nestled against the side of the ship, literally floating above the ocean.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
  • Fitzpatrick is the founder of MariCorp, one of the country’s largest floating boat dock manufacturing and construction firms.
    — Jack Harvel July 27, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
Definition of float
Verb
  • If its multiple drifts back to 30 over the next five years, Apple will need a 5% annual push from a combination of repurchases and earnings expansion just to stay even, to maintain its share price at current levels.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 30 July 2026
  • Mortgage rates are also drifting higher amid concerns that fighting in the Middle East could accelerate inflation, as shipping disruptions in the region push up oil and fuel prices.
    — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 30 July 2026
Definition of drift
Verb
  • If your goal is endurance, swim laps or walk through the water at a steady pace to keep your heart rate elevated.
    — Patricia Neligan, AJC.com, 27 July 2026
  • The gunk Bondurant observed was likely didymo disturbed off the bottom of the river by people swimming and walking around.
    — Hannah Smith July 25, Idaho Statesman, 25 July 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 2 Aug. 2026.

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