as in hints
an almost imperceptible sign of something
even a whiff of appreciation for everything I've done for her would have been nice
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Recent Examples of whiffs
Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 10 May 2026
Then again, Lambert had generated just five whiffs on Baltimore’s 35 swings against him.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 May 2026
The curveball induced 11 whiffs on 14 swings and finished five of his nine strikeouts.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 30 Apr. 2026
All three have fastballs of 95 mph or harder with complementary breaking pitches that generate strikeouts and whiffs.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026
Sunday was more alarming, as Gil only induced three whiffs.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
Most alarming of all, Gil only induced three whiffs from the Astros.
—Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
Mahle’s opposite on the mound Wednesday was four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani, who pitched six shutout innings with seven strikeouts while generating 18 whiffs.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Some mention of bonus bets that whiffs of free money.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
World Baseball Classic Team USA whiffs Team USA lost 3-2 to Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic title game Tuesday night.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
Both whiffs only further reminded me what a top-tier star Clooney used to be, and these staid recent efforts help meta-textually burnish Jay Kelly’s initial setup.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 14 Nov. 2025
Given Eldridge’s offensive profile, there will likely always be a fair amount of strikeouts and whiffs in his game.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2025
Noun
There weren’t a lot of whiffs, but Wacha executed on the corners.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 10 May 2026
Then again, Lambert had generated just five whiffs on Baltimore’s 35 swings against him.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 May 2026
The curveball induced 11 whiffs on 14 swings and finished five of his nine strikeouts.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 30 Apr. 2026
All three have fastballs of 95 mph or harder with complementary breaking pitches that generate strikeouts and whiffs.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026
Sunday was more alarming, as Gil only induced three whiffs.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
Most alarming of all, Gil only induced three whiffs from the Astros.
—Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
Mahle’s opposite on the mound Wednesday was four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani, who pitched six shutout innings with seven strikeouts while generating 18 whiffs.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
Consider that a positive sign for a club that struggled last season with strikeouts and whiffs at its lowest points.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Some mention of bonus bets that whiffs of free money.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
World Baseball Classic Team USA whiffs Team USA lost 3-2 to Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic title game Tuesday night.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
Both whiffs only further reminded me what a top-tier star Clooney used to be, and these staid recent efforts help meta-textually burnish Jay Kelly’s initial setup.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 14 Nov. 2025
Given Eldridge’s offensive profile, there will likely always be a fair amount of strikeouts and whiffs in his game.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whiffs
Noun
-
During what was billed as the Steel Topping Out ceremony at new Nissan Stadium in November, Goodell was very complimentary of the franchise's facility, and even dropped hints that a Super Bowl could be headed to Nashville someday.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
-
This House primary in Pennsylvania is giving hints about where the national Democratic Party is headed.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Shelves lined with baking ingredients, bolts of fabric, tinware, nails, and jars of penny candy created a patchwork of textures and smells ranging from molasses and leather to spices and tobacco smoke.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
-
Rotten food looks wrong, smells wrong and tastes wrong — not by accident, but by design.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Thoughtful touches, like gifting departing guests with delicate shell necklaces, make a lasting impression.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
-
But Miami would need to find someone worthy of those snaps, and Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II are competing for those touches.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
Verb
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In the video, Chilli sniffs large bricks to locate the scent a trainer shared with him.—
Katie Hill,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Tovar is the one officer who immediately sniffs out that there’s something weird about Gacy, and Luna incrementally nudges the character further and further into obsession.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
While math achievement saw a rebound after the pandemic, reading continued to decline through 2024, with 2025 offering glimmers of a turnaround, the report said.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
The Melissa is a slightly wider shape for more coverage and balance on longer or wider faces, with a chunky gold hinge that glimmers in the sun.—
Kelsey Legg,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Then the northern flickers, which consume ants, can visit your lawn and find something to eat.—
Sheryl De Vore,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
-
The four crewmembers reported seeing several impact flashes — flickers of light created when a meteoroid hits the lunar surface and vaporizes.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whiffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiffs. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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