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wafts 1 of 2

noun

plural of waft
as in breezes
a slight or gentle movement of air wafts carrying the scent of spring flowers

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wafts

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of waft
as in hovers
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air a feather wafted past us and settled on the grass

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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 wafts
Noun
The plot’s engine sputters as the film contentedly wafts just out of reach. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 At night, breeze wafts through louvres, circulated by whirring ceiling fans. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026 Spritz it in the morning and prepare for subtle, spa-like wafts of forest floor throughout the day. — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 4 Aug. 2026 In one image, a young sitter with the Arabic word for ‘justice’ painted on her cheek gazes sensuously into the camera, while flooding the frame with wafts of smoke. — Michael-Oliver Harding, CNN Money, 28 July 2026 According to British Vogue, Kate arranged for wafts of Orange Blossom candles to fill the air of Westminster Abbey on her big day. — Rebecca Norris, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026 Banana pudding wafts with the green vanilla notes of pandan. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 24 Mar. 2026 Losing the Great Salt Lake would therefore have dire economic consequences for the region, in addition to health threats as dust laden with heavy metals wafts off the lake bed and into neighborhoods. — Evan Bush, NBC news, 7 Mar. 2026 Lemongrass wafts off a dish of lobster two ways. — Restaurant Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Dec. 2025
Verb
From the big room beyond, where men are working with chisels and planes, wafts a powerful smell of wood glue. — Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026 On sunny days, the ocean breeze wafts off the beach and through the loungers and cabanas set just back from the sand. — Tim Chester, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2026 The sugary aroma wafts down Main Street, where artisans continue the century-old tradition of pouring, paddling, and slicing molten fudge into glossy, irresistible bricks. — Christine Chitnis, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025 Yes, everyone’s favorite subject on this very hot New York City day the trash smell wafts up to us. — Fortune Editors, Fortune, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wafts
  1. breezes
  2. hovers
  3. puffs
  4. floats
  5. sails
  6. drifts
Noun
  • Southern California’s dry summers typically exist because of its land-to-sea breezes in the morning and sea-to-land breezes in the afternoon, according to meteorologist Kristan Lund of the weather service’s Oxnard office.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Solving key questions about those equations could help explain and predict breezes and turbulence.
    — Greta Reich, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of breezes
Verb
  • Those sources said that Cultural Counsel’s workforce now hovers around 18.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Future Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell hovers in the background and gives a brief interview, looking absurdly young.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of hovers
Noun
  • In fact, some shoppers admit polishing off the puffs in the parking lot.
    — Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The resulting fire from the crash sent large puffs of black smoke into the air.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of puffs
Verb
  • The city has completed a 2-megawatt solar array that floats on the Twin Lakes Reservoir, its primary drinking water source.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Amy is an extremely specific archetype within Wasia, a cosmopolite who floats through a stratosphere of international schools and three-city Instagram bios.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of floats
Verb
  • Seabourn sails the 264-passenger Seabourn Venture and twin Seabourn Pursuit, two lavish all-suite polar-class expedition ships cruising remote itineraries, each with two submarines.
    — Janice Wald Henderson, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Some of my favorites are coming back too, like El Pulpo Magnifico, Duane Flatmo's fire-breathing octopus, and the Monaco, a 40-foot ship with three masts that sails across dust instead of water.
    — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of sails
Verb
  • Our low, bargelike vessel drifts serenely, unhurriedly along the brown river.
    — Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Like the Argentinian, Mora drifts freely between the lines, demanding the ball from team-mates before driving purposefully at goal.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of drifts

Browse Nearby Words

wafting
wafts
wag
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Cite this Entry

“Wafts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wafts. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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