as in hint
an almost imperceptible sign of something
even a whiff of appreciation for everything I've done for her would have been nice
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Recent Examples of whiff
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
Reimagining their offense and making it a reality is a central theme of spring training as the Rockies try to rebound from a disastrous 119-loss season, one marred by a swing-and-whiff offense that was the worst in franchise history.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2026
Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2026
Minor league catcher Miguel Palma also whiffed on a challenge.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whiff
Noun
The right-hander allowed two runs over two innings in his second appearance but generated nine whiffs, six being with his sweeper.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
Reimagining their offense and making it a reality is a central theme of spring training as the Rockies try to rebound from a disastrous 119-loss season, one marred by a swing-and-whiff offense that was the worst in franchise history.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
The message was recognizably Trumpian, and the fact that it was repeated verbatim dozens of times itself whiffed of thought control.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2026
Minor league catcher Miguel Palma also whiffed on a challenge.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whiff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whiff
Noun
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There are some hints that along with the switch to colder weather, there could be some light snow.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
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Stout is a full-bodied ale that lends toasty depth and hints of malt and hops to the broth.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Mice know cats can smell them, and cats emit chemicals that terrify mice.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Spring flowers smell like fish.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The possibility of playing sports, an idea presented to him during rehab, provided a glimmer of hope.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
7 Mar. 2026
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The audience gets glimmers of Katie and Greg’s relationship, but the show is bogged down by dull characters like the policeman who seems to have it out for Greg, and even by its focus on Archie’s point of view, which is just a depiction of narcissism and a formulaic pseudo-midlife crisis.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some compare sniffing isopropanol with a saline or water placebo, others with different aromatherapy scents such as peppermint or lavender, and others with conventional antiemetics.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Mar. 2026
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While police have not determined how long the girls had been buried at that location, the man whose dog sniffed them out told a local television station that the mound of dirt under which one of the bodies was found had been there at least a week.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Legionella can be carried in water vapor or mist and can cause illness if inhaled.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
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Those guardrails are in place because air pollutants that come from the generators, like nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and ‘fine particulate matter’ are known to cause lung and heart health issues when inhaled.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiff. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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