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
Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026
Then again, Lambert had generated just five whiffs on Baltimore’s 35 swings against him.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 May 2026
The curveball induced 11 whiffs on 14 swings and finished five of his nine strikeouts.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 30 Apr. 2026
All three have fastballs of 95 mph or harder with complementary breaking pitches that generate strikeouts and whiffs.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026
Sunday was more alarming, as Gil only induced three whiffs.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
Most alarming of all, Gil only induced three whiffs from the Astros.
—Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
Mahle’s opposite on the mound Wednesday was four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani, who pitched six shutout innings with seven strikeouts while generating 18 whiffs.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Some mention of bonus bets that whiffs of free money.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
World Baseball Classic Team USA whiffs Team USA lost 3-2 to Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic title game Tuesday night.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
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
Noun
The heater registered 27 swings and eight whiffs, per Statcast.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026
Then again, Lambert had generated just five whiffs on Baltimore’s 35 swings against him.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 May 2026
The curveball induced 11 whiffs on 14 swings and finished five of his nine strikeouts.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 30 Apr. 2026
All three have fastballs of 95 mph or harder with complementary breaking pitches that generate strikeouts and whiffs.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026
Sunday was more alarming, as Gil only induced three whiffs.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
Most alarming of all, Gil only induced three whiffs from the Astros.
—Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
Mahle’s opposite on the mound Wednesday was four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani, who pitched six shutout innings with seven strikeouts while generating 18 whiffs.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
Consider that a positive sign for a club that struggled last season with strikeouts and whiffs at its lowest points.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Some mention of bonus bets that whiffs of free money.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
World Baseball Classic Team USA whiffs Team USA lost 3-2 to Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic title game Tuesday night.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
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
-
With hints of Nashville and LA sprinkled throughout the shop, a KC native just opened a new boutique and embroidery bar in the Northland.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
12 May 2026
-
The thread packed with hints served as a playful nod to Taylor Swift's new sourdough obsession and her relationship with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.—
Paloma Chavez,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The line taps into Eastern herbal medicine and smells incredible—a waft of botanicals that stays with you all day.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 May 2026
-
The spirit smells like hazelnuts and tastes like peppercorns.—
Abbey Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Of course, modern touches like bedside power ports and espresso machines are also in place.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
-
Geographically, the food is New Nordic, with touches of gooseberry, rye and glittery golden vendace roe from the Baltic Sea.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 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
-
There are no easy answers in education, but there are glimmers of hope.—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
12 Apr. 2026
-
While the storm is looming, there are new glimmers of possibility—friends can become lovers, strangers can become friends on the subway, the supermarket aisles are charged with meaning.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The four crewmembers reported seeing several impact flashes — flickers of light created when a meteoroid hits the lunar surface and vaporizes.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
-
Opt for bigger hanging bulbs, discrete flickers, or even hanging sheaths.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whiffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiffs. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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