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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 whiffs

Noun

Not even their infamous 70-20 loss in Miami three years ago, three games into Vance Joseph’s return to Denver as defensive coordinator, featured that many whiffs. — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Cameron recorded 14 called strikes and 12 whiffs, per Baseball Savant. — Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2026 Lynch’s massive draft whiffs feel like harmless clerical rounding errors next to his good work in handling all the off-the-field stuff that lands on his desk. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026 On windy days, whiffs of smelting iron blew in from a factory, just beyond a set of train tracks, that produced ingots for the rest of the United States. — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026 Although Gausman’s four-seam fastball (13 called strikes) and splitter (15 whiffs) yielded some productive results, the veteran left too many hittable pitches around the plate. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026 Errors and whiffs are briskly airbrushed away by the unending march of content. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026 Getty Images The MLB best home run bets have been in one of the longest droughts of the year, with eight straight whiffs on home run props. — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 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

Dylan Carden, an equity analyst for William Blair, wrote in a note published Friday that Under Armour’s results give few hints as to when a recovery could be expected for the company.

— Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 6 Nov. 2026
And as the show has gone on, the actor has found layers to play, including hints of a kind of existential melancholy.

— Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of hints

Verb

Once spills and smells sink deep into cushions, the foam can hold onto odors indefinitely.

— Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2026
With a luminous, ambery-woody scent and a sillage that’s caught Rihanna’s attention, Baccarat Rouge 540 famously smells great on everyone.

— Jenny Berg, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of smells

Noun

Within the terminal, each PS suite has a different vibe (mine was pink), complete with nods to the beach and vintage touches, including palm tree wallpaper and capiz shell chandeliers.

— Lauren Harano, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
Heder also struggles to convey the complicated dynamics of multi-character expression in tight quarters, which breeds a sameness of style and some sitcom-ish touches.

— Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of touches

Noun

Curt Cignetti has not just provided a championship mindset for the passionate fans that were sitting through days of blowouts and small glimmers of hope in past years.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Still, Crow—the ever-optimist, as her body of work proves—clings on to the glimmers of hope from leaders of the world who do show us the best parts of humanity.

— Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of glimmers

Verb

The child inhales for four counts, holds for four counts, exhales for four counts and holds again for four counts.

— Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 10 Aug. 2026
The chemical is particularly tough on the human respiratory system and, depending on how much a person inhales, MMA can cause everything from sore throats and cough to dizziness, nausea and, at the highest levels, damage to the nervous system, Kleinman said.

— Sierra van der Brug, Oc Register, 23 May 2026

Definition of inhales

Noun

Yet Rafael, willing and even eager to die for his antifascist principles, returns Sebastián’s gaze without flinching, and with a sense of rebuke that is complicated by unspoken yet unmistakable flickers of desire.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2026
The first flickers of life beamed images from the Bloomberg network of a New York building on fire.

— Will Richmond, The Providence Journal, 11 Sep. 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 14 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of whiffs

noun

verb

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