waft 1 of 2

Definition of waftnext

waft

2 of 2

verb

as in to hover
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air a feather wafted past us and settled on the grass

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 waft
Noun
The scents of honey, lavender, patchouli and cedarwood waft through The Hive by Upcycled Candles, as soft alternative rock fills the air. Sarah Kyrcz, Hartford Courant, 30 Mar. 2026 Banana pudding wafts with the green vanilla notes of pandan. Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
The unmistakable smell of cigar smoke is wafting about the corridor leading directly to the visitor’s locker room at Frost Bank Center. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 14 June 2026 Authorities responded to complaints about a bad smell wafting from a gray Toyota SUV with California plates parked in a grocery store parking lot near the stadium, the Post reported. Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for waft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waft
Noun
  • Its compact size and functional interior and exterior pockets will make zipping through airport security or stopping for gas on road trips a breeze — no more digging through disorganized totes to locate your wallet and phone.
    Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026
  • Simply plant the lightweight poles in the sand, face it into the breeze, and let the wind do the rest.
    Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • Dark clouds hovered around the stadium just before kickoff, threatening to delay the start of the game, but Mother Nature apparently is a soccer fan, because the storm veered away.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026
  • Temperatures in the beach cities pleasantly hovered in the 70s, a stark contrast to East Coast communities broiling in a heat wave.
    Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Noun
  • If the accretion disk puffs up in just the right way, the incoming gas can overwhelm the radiation pressure.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 2 July 2026
  • Turned on a recorder, took a puff, started playing some jazz.
    Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • Facing no one but the goalkeeper, Moshobane sailed an uncontested shot from 18 yards over the top of the net.
    Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 3 July 2026
  • The ship was sailing an Alaska and Canada voyage round-trip from San Francisco, according to CruiseMapper.
    Nathan Diller, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Noun
  • The head may be turned, a breath taken in a conscious way, or not.
    Padgett Powell, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • Fans hold their breath and hope for Messi to score every time that Argentina plays, but this team is loaded with talent.
    Kellis Robinett, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • The usual carousel of famous people making the podcast rounds — Kamala Harris on Call Her Daddy, Tyrese on Joe Budden, the endless stream of tiny heads floating in front of screenshots of articles — is interrupted by something startlingly familiar.
    Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026
  • The nucleus disassembles, letting these crucial genetic instructions float free in the cell’s soupy interior.
    Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • Yamal was a thorn in Saudi Arabia’s side, drifting infield to unleash shots from distance but also peppering the penalty area with wicked deliveries from the right flank.
    Mark Carey, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • When those models drift or their assumptions fail, errors can scale rapidly.
    Akhilesh Sharma, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • Authorities have warned people to take extra care when swimming in unsupervised areas, such as rivers or lakes, following the deaths of around 40 people in France over the past week.
    Kirsten Grieshaber, Fortune, 27 June 2026
  • Dong also unsuccessfully tried to swim to a Taiwanese island.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Waft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waft. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on waft

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster