as in debris
discarded or useless material
there's a lot of chaff in this book, and the reader should be on the alert for it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in laugh
good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks
I got no end of chaff about my accent when I was in the military
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to tease
to make fun of in a good-natured way
chaffed her about the brightly colored shirt she had received as a gift
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to joke
to make jokes
a coworker who likes to chaff at others' expense, and this often results in hurt feelings
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in worthless
having no usefulness
a decidedly chaffy book that is basically a collection of old interviews with celebrities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chaff
David Baker, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024
Not wind but a chaff of pollen choking in that whirl.
—David Baker, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024
That’s where Quaker parenting has stepped in for me, providing a simple way to separate the wheat from the child-development chaff.
—Gail Cornwall, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2025
In French air force service, the Mirage 2000-5F flies with a combination of a Serval radar warning receiver, a Sabre jammer and an Eclair chaff and flare dispenser.
—David Axe, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Noun
Not wind but a chaff of pollen choking in that whirl.
—David Baker, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024
Not wind but a chaff of pollen choking in that whirl.
—David Baker, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024
That’s where Quaker parenting has stepped in for me, providing a simple way to separate the wheat from the child-development chaff.
—Gail Cornwall, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2025
In French air force service, the Mirage 2000-5F flies with a combination of a Serval radar warning receiver, a Sabre jammer and an Eclair chaff and flare dispenser.
—David Axe, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaff
Verb
-
Fans of the finger food, made with a tortilla-crumb breading, can look forward to having it year-round, as Taco Bell teased plans to make nuggets part of the permanent menu by 2026.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2025
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The trailer also teases a subplot involving a pregnancy between Sue Storm and Reed Richards, possibly hinting at the birth of their son, Franklin Richards, a character with universe-altering powers in Marvel lore.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Whalen video used audio of Hemphill joking about the possibility of activists getting arrested for removing the Pride flag.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Apr. 2025
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OpenAI’s user community has long joked about its strange or confusing AI model names.—
Hayden Field,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The markets are already speaking: The U.S. dollar now trades for more than 1 million rials, an almost 75 percent increase from a few months ago, making the Iranian currency among the most worthless in the world (in 2015, when Iran last signed a deal with the U.S., the dollar was just 29,500 IRR).—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2025
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For his part, Zelenskyy tried to say that any agreement with Putin was worthless, as Rubio pointed out.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
And neither Bibb, Le Bon nor Gries were kidding, as there wasn’t just one death, but five.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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Who are Manager Brandon Hyde and General Manager Mike Elias kidding here?—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Imagine nearly every seat in Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center − over 20,000 seats − are empty.—
Kymberlee Montgomery,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
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On a rainy morning, the restaurant, made up of a few four-seat tables leading to the stage area, was mostly empty.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The conquistadors raped Indigenous women, chopped off Indians’ hands, used swords as spits to roast Indian babies over fires as their mothers watched.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2025
-
There are treehouses to explore, pools to enjoy in the warmer months, s’mores to roast, and golf courses, beach cruisers, and kayaks to fill your itinerary.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That was probably a terrible decision, in fairness, but Meazza responded by faking a shot to fool a defender, then teed up Piola to score.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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While the towering shoes may seem intimidating, don’t let their large, often chunky heels fool you: PLatform shoes are among the most comfortable heels in any wardrobe.—
Nina Derwin,
Glamour,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaff. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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