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
Relevance
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
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 chaff
David Axe, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
This efficiency allows for additional capacity regarding chaff and flare countermeasures, enhancing the aircraft’s ability to evade enemy defenses.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Jan. 2025
This efficiency allows for additional capacity regarding chaff and flare countermeasures, enhancing the aircraft’s ability to evade enemy defenses.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Jan. 2025
Not wind but a chaff of pollen choking in that whirl.
—David Baker, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Noun
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
This efficiency allows for additional capacity regarding chaff and flare countermeasures, enhancing the aircraft’s ability to evade enemy defenses.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Jan. 2025
This efficiency allows for additional capacity regarding chaff and flare countermeasures, enhancing the aircraft’s ability to evade enemy defenses.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Jan. 2025
Not wind but a chaff of pollen choking in that whirl.
—David Baker, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaff
Verb
-
For example, in an exclusive with Vanity Fair, Chu teases two brand new songs written by original Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz that will be featured in the film.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
4 June 2025
-
Richard first teased their move to his wife’s native Spain in an April 2024 interview with Vanity Fair Spain, despite having lived in the United States since they got married in 2018.—
Natalia Senanayake,
People.com,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
Hudson previously joked about the fact that each of her kids has a different father during an appearance on Sunday Today with Willie Geist.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
6 June 2025
-
Many joked that Tesla was now going to face hostility from all sides of the political spectrum.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
Roberts kidded Ohtani about gifting him when the modest record was inevitably broken, and the new Dodgers slugger obliged with the toy.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
-
Just kidding — although that would certainly get a reaction from Porsha — but there was a mysterious naked man seen from a nearby villa (??).—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
2 June 2025
Verb
-
The apple bourbon barbecue pulled pork pizza uses pork roasted in-house.—
David Hudnall,
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2025
-
Gravity Haus has announced this property will offer an outpost of Unravel Coffee, where beans are roasted on-site using a zero-emissions Bellwether system, and Terrain, a casual taco bar also found at the brand’s Winter Park, Colorado, hotel.—
Bailey Berg,
AFAR Media,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
Reyes was a nice spring training story, but the Yankees were fooled by meaningless February and March stats.—
Chris Kirschner,
New York Times,
8 June 2025
-
But don't be fooled, as these texts are sophisticated scams designed to steal your personal information or money.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaff. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share