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
Filled with tender onion and soft goat cheese and nestled in a pool of Gruyère sauce, his elegant riff seemed true to classic French technique yet unconstrained by it.
—
Megan Zhang, Saveur, 4 Sep. 2025
One of the luminaries del Toro and crew are competing against at Venice 2025, interestingly, is Yorgos Lanthimos, who previously proffered his own riff on Frankenstein with Poor Things.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
The other range is built on the Endurance Pro, with the riffs on the titanium dive watch costing $4,400 apiece.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 31 Aug. 2025
The band were already distinguishing themselves by wedging huge, chunky-salsa riffs underneath the scabrous noise of the EP.
—Pat Blashill, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riff
Megan Zhang, Saveur, 4 Sep. 2025
One of the luminaries del Toro and crew are competing against at Venice 2025, interestingly, is Yorgos Lanthimos, who previously proffered his own riff on Frankenstein with Poor Things.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
The other range is built on the Endurance Pro, with the riffs on the titanium dive watch costing $4,400 apiece.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 31 Aug. 2025
The band were already distinguishing themselves by wedging huge, chunky-salsa riffs underneath the scabrous noise of the EP.
—Pat Blashill, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riff
Noun
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Most recent direct interpretation is Labubu creator Kasing Lung’s collaboration with LVMH’s luxury bag brand Moynat but bigger picture, luxury’s charm offensive extends from Glossier to Balenciaga—both of which transformed recent product launches into key-chain charm versions.—
Stephanie Hirschmiller,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Contrary to Johnson's claim, politics shapes conservatives' interpretation of biblical truth rather than biblical truth shaping their politics.—
Allan J. Lichtman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Getting the final minty shade, one that worked well on all Fitzpatrick skin tones, took more than 20 variations.—
Megan McIntyre,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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The look came from Mugler’s spring 1998 haute couture collection, which featured a bevy of variations on the black and white color blocking motif.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The extended version of the same promo shows a new offering from the Meta-Oakley partnership as well.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
16 Sep. 2025
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There’s also an untinted version of the skin-soothing, redness-reducing SPF, EltaMD UV Skin Recovery Broad-Spectrum SPF 50, if that’s more your thing.—
Megan McIntyre,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riff. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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