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 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
The brand’s signature fragrance wafts through the store, which houses womenswear on the ground floor and men’s on the second level. — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026 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
  • Even longer hair on Tyler and Perry, also blowing in those hurricane-level breezes, with the singer festooned in a beautiful open blouse?
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Highs across the Houston area are expected to reach only the upper 60s or lower 70s, with breezes adding to the chill.
    — Newsroom Meteorologist, Houston Chronicle, 17 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Using photogammetry, a technique which renders 2D surfaces into 3D models, and game engines, Montoya directs a virtual drone that hovers over the ruins of cities and its strange, frozen residents.
    — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • As Indy hovers above us, for instance, his legs and hips subtly shift.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The woman laughs every now and then and the man begins to almost sing between his puffs on his beedi.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
  • While the egg-and-cheddar batter puffs in a skillet, a crazy-quilt of veggies roasts separately.
    — Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Expect a night of dazzling sights, as costumed performers, puppets and floats make their way down Columbus Drive.
    — Jennifer Day, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Each night, Musgraves floats over the audience, cozily nestled in a giant set of disco ball Truck Nutz.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
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
Verb
  • Rain chances are low — 10% to 25% — as the front drifts southward during the day.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Around me, hands reach up timidly and then with more confidence, and then they are accompanied by applause that drifts from one side of the room to the other and back.
    — Sam Kestenbaum, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wafts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wafts. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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