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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 whiff
Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 16 June 2026
Ingvar knows the whiff of disruption is in the air.
—Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 15 June 2026
ABC News, 10 June 2026
The 22-year-old right-hander gave up three hits, struck out seven and walked five in his 107-pitch effort, which included a 97-mph fastball to whiff Joey Loperfido with the bases loaded to end the third.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for whiff
Noun
Instrumental rock music of the kind Horse Lords make—hypnotic, hyper-focused, complex—usually carries a whiff of manifesto, offering a map toward transcendence of some political, metaphysical, or pick-your-variety kind.
—Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 16 June 2026
Ingvar knows the whiff of disruption is in the air.
—Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 15 June 2026
Verb
The 22-year-old right-hander gave up three hits, struck out seven and walked five in his 107-pitch effort, which included a 97 mph fastball to whiff Joey Loperfido with the bases loaded to end the third.
—ABC News, 10 June 2026
The 22-year-old right-hander gave up three hits, struck out seven and walked five in his 107-pitch effort, which included a 97-mph fastball to whiff Joey Loperfido with the bases loaded to end the third.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for whiff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whiff
Noun
-
Just One is a cooperative word game where duplicate hints get eliminated.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
23 June 2026
-
These flavors follow through on the palate with additional elements of savory sandstone, pomegranate, and a hint of salinity.—
Liz Thach,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Verb
-
My audience can smell something disingenuous pretty quick.—
Holly Gleason,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
-
Consumers often rely on appearance and smell other than expiry dates to judge whether products are still safe to eat, despite the limitations of those methods.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
There’s something so heartbreaking about a refreshing dramedy series like AppleTV+'s Shrinkingthat can give you a glimmer of hope about getting help and speaking to someone to process your thoughts – in this case, a therapist.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
After the game, with the glimmer of tears in their eyes, the New Yorker editor David Remnick and Vinson Cunningham celebrated the win, and were joined by Louisa Thomas, who managed a bit more equanimity.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
The look of sheer repressed, stymied rage/laughter on Raph’s face when Paul sniffs the Oreos instead is one of the episode’s biggest laughs.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
-
The network is also set up to sniff out other viruses of recent concern.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The workers inhale these particles, and many develop a severe and rapidly progressive form of silicosis.—
David Michaels,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
-
The fish will inhale the lure and clamp down hard.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiff. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
