wafts 1 of 2

plural of waft

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

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 wafts
Noun
The scent of burning resin wafts through the air, and ambient music follows you around the property, matching the vibe of the day from sunrise to sunset. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 May 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 Open the door to the Tumacacori Mesquite Sawmill gallery in the rural, rolling hills of Santa Cruz County, Arizona, an hour south of Tucson, and a soft aroma wafts out. Suzanne Wright, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025 The scent of shorn wood, metal and instant coffee wafts through the air. Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 11 Nov. 2025 October’s crisp weather invites a pot of simmering chili to cook slowly on the stove, filling the kitchen with warmth and wafts of smoke and spice. Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 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
Noun
  • The gardens sweep down gracefully towards the sea whose breezes nourish them, another integral inspiration in the restaurant’s menu and design.
    Carley Rojas Ávila, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • Overnight wind gusts stirred up dust across the desert landscape, and without strong morning breezes to disperse it, the particles remain suspended in the air.
    Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Their water content hovers around 16%, and butter is made up of 1-4% vitamins, minerals, lactose and protein.
    Rosemary Trout, The Conversation, 10 June 2026
  • Gregg Popovich still hovers around his program, and his guys never quit.
    Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 6 June 2026
Noun
  • There’s an entire salad bowl of chocolate mousse, perfectly bitter and rich, and a Paris-Brest the circumference of a tricycle wheel, with enormous puffs of hazelnut mousse and a dripping seam of blackberry jam.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 June 2026
  • On TikTok, Photon Matrix posted a video of the device killing the mosquitoes at night and leaving only micro-puffs of smoke behind; the video has been viewed more than 70 million times.
    Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • The property floats over the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge is perfectly framed.
    Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 8 Dec. 2025
  • The piece depicts Kahlo asleep in a wooden, colonial-style bed that floats in the clouds.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • My itinerary with Victory – which also sails along the East Coast and in the Canadian Maritimes – lasted nine nights from Chicago to Toronto.
    Nathan Diller, USA Today, 1 June 2026
  • Before the quartet of late November and December holiday sailings begins, the ship sails an almost identical route along the Seine between March and November.
    Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2026
Verb
  • Cricket drifts far from the contemporary arts scene.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
  • On Sunday mornings, families gather by the docks along Lake Erie, while church music drifts across the water.
    Kiara Moore, The Washington Examiner, 7 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wafts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wafts. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on wafts

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster