as in interpretation
a distinct treatment of something (as a story or a play)
a mock news program with humorous riffs on current events
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of riff
His earlier works presented short, bizarre riffs on silent cinema and the genres of the past — war flicks, melodramas, propaganda films, etc.
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
Pfeiffer’s Big Mac riff, a tribute to business partner Louis Mele’s career, swaps slices of standard American for gooey raclette and Gruyere.
—USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025
On paper, these ingredients seem promising: A riff on the Sherlock template and a likable star in Chestnut.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2025
Cue the Nerf Herder guitar riff: A Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot is in the offing.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riff
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
Pfeiffer’s Big Mac riff, a tribute to business partner Louis Mele’s career, swaps slices of standard American for gooey raclette and Gruyere.
—USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025
On paper, these ingredients seem promising: A riff on the Sherlock template and a likable star in Chestnut.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2025
Cue the Nerf Herder guitar riff: A Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot is in the offing.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riff
Noun
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Winning Time is an artistic work of interpretation made by creators independent of the Lakers’ influence who wanted to explore ideas about the ’80s, professional sports, and race in America.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2025
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While these services are not the main event of the national park—that would be the nature itself—the reduction in ranger talks and other types of interpretation would detract from the park’s educational potential, and the reduction of conveniences could impact length of stay.—
Will McGough,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The Romanian deadlift is a variation of the classic, which strengthens the glutes and hamstrings.—
Hilary Achauer,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2025
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The first day of spring training games was a look at some variation of the regular lineup and getting first glances as newcomers Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger along with Jasson Dominguez’s first game in a bid to be the opening day left fielder.—
Larry Fleisher,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Editor’s Note: A version of this story appears in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a weekly look inside the region’s biggest stories.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN,
27 Feb. 2025
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There is a scintilla of potential intrigue in this revelation, and there’s a version of this narrative that sets him up as a politically interesting threat to Isla & Co.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riff. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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