WHIFFS Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

whiffs 1 of 2

noun

plural of whiff

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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whiffs

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of whiff

as in smells

to become aware of by means of the sense organs in the nose whiffed the pot of chili on the stove and announced that he was staying for dinner

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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 whiffs

Noun

The southpaw relied on his changeup to record 33 swings and seven whiffs, per Baseball Savant. — Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026 There is plenty of strikeout in his game, but the power may be worth the whiffs. — Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 Right-hander Landen Roupp, making his first appearance since generating national headlines on Pride Night last Friday, allowed two runs over six innings with seven strikeouts to one walk whie generating a season-high 16 whiffs. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 20 June 2026 With his three fastballs generating 18 whiffs on 49 swings and 96 pitches, Schlittler set a new career-high with 13 strikeouts. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 20 June 2026 Cabrera needs whiffs on his breaking balls and changeup to thrive. — Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 12 June 2026 But reliever John Ghelli got back-to-back whiffs to force extra innings. — Matt Roy, Boston Herald, 10 June 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

Dark romances often blend genres and may include hints of dark academia, fairytale or fantasy.

— Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 18 July 2026
Athena is like Odysseus’s overbearing coach, offering hints about what’s going to happen in the future, egging him on, and occasionally cloaking him in disguises.

— Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026

Definition of hints

Verb

Imagine tall trees across the lake, a calm breeze, children laughing in the distance, the scent of your old canvas tent – there’s no forgetting the sights, sounds, smells and feel of summer camp.

— Seth T. Kannarr, Fortune, 13 July 2026
Billingsley said his crews were able to save some of the family’s possessions with tarps and rugs, but the Merazes have been advised that any clothing or furniture that still smells like smoke needs to be disposed of.

— Noah Daly July 11, Idaho Statesman, 11 July 2026

Definition of smells

Noun

Before extra time, Argentina had managed 39 touches in the attacking third.

— Thom Harris, New York Times, 20 July 2026
The surprise for potential buyers seeking a large secluded property in Italy may be that these modern technical touches extend into the interior design.

— Nielsen Dinwoodie, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of touches

Noun

There have been flickers, little moments of inspiration, but nothing concerted.

— Jack Lang, New York Times, 18 July 2026
These flickers included a merely steady revenue projection from chipmaker Broadcom on its most recent earnings call as well as a construction pause for a data center being built in Wyoming.

— Tobias Burns, CNBC, 24 June 2026

Definition of flickers

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whiffing

whiffs

while

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Style

“Whiffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiffs. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of whiffs

noun

verb

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