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
Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, Robb Report, 18 Jan. 2026
This situation carries a whiff of something… off.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Benjamin Royer, Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
What moments hit hardest or whiffed worst for you, Dan?
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whiff
Noun
The entry sequence sets the tone for the project’s fusion of technology, craft, and occasional whiffs of spirituality.
—Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, Robb Report, 18 Jan. 2026
This situation carries a whiff of something… off.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
Midway through the second quarter, USC forward Dayana Mendes whiffed on a 3-point shot, sending an airball effort into the hands of fellow post Yakiya Milton.
—Benjamin Royer, Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
What moments hit hardest or whiffed worst for you, Dan?
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whiff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whiff
Noun
-
People crafted narratives out of suspicions, rumors and hints, to fill a desperate need for an explanation.—
M. Gessen,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Whereas Boyd was plain-spoken on purpose, Wheeler’s diction was always elevated and precise, with a hint of sarcasm.—
Nell Freudenberger,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The best hair perfumes can make your strands smell as good as the rest of you, without committing to a full wash day.—
Andrea Navarro,
Glamour,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Near the end of her speech, a man in the front row jumped up and ran towards her before spraying her shirt with a syringe of an unknown, strong-smelling substance, according to C-SPAN footage.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But no, still not so much as a glimmer.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Third-quarter sales at constant exchange rates beat analysts’ expectations and gave the luxury sector a glimmer of hope.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This Heat roster doesn’t have a player who will even sniff the third team.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The drone is being designed to allow for equipping it with additional sensing gear to do things like sniff out gases produced by fires, and measure outside temperatures.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That means that, for 20 years, as the real ambulances would idle on set, the crew and actors would be inhaling the diesel fumes that being emitted from the loud, life-saving vehicles.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Jan. 2026
-
For decades the capital had worked like a slowly exploding atom bomb, inhaling poor Filipinos from the provinces and spitting them into distant suburbs, transforming rural barangays into slums of concrete and zinc.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiff. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
