as in hints
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 whiffs
Keith Law, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
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
The San Francisco 49ers coach was caught by a Fox television camera moments before a playoff game Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles taking several whiffs from a small packet before handing it to an assistant.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Last week, the Steelers started rolling through their run game thanks to several whiffs by Patriots defenders over their first two drives.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
Farris struck out five, and got 16 whiffs.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
Additionally, Ragans finished with 37 swings and 13 whiffs in his return start.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025
The first whiffs of police teargas came before daybreak, with scuffles between riot officers and protesters in Paris.
—Dan Gooding
jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Peterson used his sinker to induce ground-balls, and a changeup below the zone got whiffs.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2025
David Sims, The Atlantic, 14 Nov. 2025
Given Eldridge’s offensive profile, there will likely always be a fair amount of strikeouts and whiffs in his game.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2025
Noun
His best pitch is his slider, which breaks downward very late for the hitter, generating whiffs on 58 percent of swings in his brief time in Low A last year.
—Keith Law, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
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
The San Francisco 49ers coach was caught by a Fox television camera moments before a playoff game Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles taking several whiffs from a small packet before handing it to an assistant.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Last week, the Steelers started rolling through their run game thanks to several whiffs by Patriots defenders over their first two drives.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
Farris struck out five, and got 16 whiffs.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
Additionally, Ragans finished with 37 swings and 13 whiffs in his return start.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025
The first whiffs of police teargas came before daybreak, with scuffles between riot officers and protesters in Paris.
—Dan Gooding
jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Peterson used his sinker to induce ground-balls, and a changeup below the zone got whiffs.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
Both whiffs only further reminded me what a top-tier star Clooney used to be, and these staid recent efforts help meta-textually burnish Jay Kelly’s initial setup.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 14 Nov. 2025
Given Eldridge’s offensive profile, there will likely always be a fair amount of strikeouts and whiffs in his game.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whiffs
Noun
-
Thrilling are the hints of feminine power.—
Arden Fanning Andrews,
Vogue,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Ancestry continues to provide hints about older ancestors, giving you the ability to dig even deeper into your family history.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Anchored in bergamot, smoke, and oakwood, Rouge Chaotique smells like a crunchy walk through a forest.—
Allure,
Allure,
17 Feb. 2026
-
While many people reach for the detergent that smells the freshest, allergists say the fragrance isn’t doing your health any favors.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This starts with intellectual rigor and time studying the various areas of law the Supreme Court touches.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Still, director Mario Landi, working with the limited resources of television production at the time, provides intriguing little visual touches, utilizing windows as a central motif to explore the book’s running theme of outsiders always looking in.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the video, Chilli sniffs large bricks to locate the scent a trainer shared with him.—
Katie Hill,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Tovar is the one officer who immediately sniffs out that there’s something weird about Gacy, and Luna incrementally nudges the character further and further into obsession.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The novel is famously austere, with mere glimmers of physical intimacy.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
In non-theme park play, the game revolves around Illumineers, glimmers, inklands, a lorebook and other buzzwords and actions that are important to players.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Excusing those two flickers of broken hegemony, the WSL’s highest echelon has been an unassailable strongbox, a figment of the rest of the table’s imagination.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
That accounts equally for Lily’s arch froideur and Diana’s enduring lack of self-worth, played by both actors with care and compassion, and contrasting flickers of vulnerability and resolve, respectively.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whiffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiffs. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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