CHAFF Synonyms: 139 Similar and Opposite Words

chaff 1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈchaf

Definition of chaff

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

chaff

2 of 3

noun (2)

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

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chaff

3 of 3

verb

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

as in to joke

to make jokes a coworker who likes to chaff at others' expense, and this often results in hurt feelings

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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

Noun

An interesting life and lots of history here, but Kaplan was unable to separate the proverbial wheat from the chaff, to my dismay. — The Know, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026 The grain, straw, and chaff of fonio are used as fodder for ruminant animals. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Mar. 2026 In these latest cuts, some of the other firings were in sales, recruiting, and Facebook, signaling that Zuckerberg is separating the chaff in non-AI related units beyond its flailing Metaverse division. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026 Compared with the seeds of almost every other plant, grass seed is highly palatable, especially for a dexterous ape whose hands can slough off the chaff. — Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for chaff

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaff

Noun

Hot rubber, tire debris, or other parts can also land on dry vegetation and ignite it.

— Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
The infamous explosion covered Pompeii and Herculaneum in volcanic debris, immortalizing the final moments of the ancient Roman cities and some of their unfortunate inhabitants in stunning detail.

— Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of debris

Noun

There was nothing particularly novel about the show’s premise, but the scripts were refreshingly dense with jokes, prioritizing laughs over contrived drama or seasonlong relationship arcs.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
The trooper is conscious, in good spirits and able to have conversations, laugh and smile, according to Sgt.

— Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of laugh

Verb

Professional athletes have joked about it in the past, with even all-time NBA great LeBron James teasing at a potential college sports journey post-retirement—albeit as more of a joke than an actual plan.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
The special included 27 minutes of content that revealed cinematic and gameplay scenes throughout the fictional Vice City and teases the overall narrative of the game.

— Tanya Fedak, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of tease

Verb

Professional athletes have joked about it in the past, with even all-time NBA great LeBron James teasing at a potential college sports journey post-retirement—albeit as more of a joke than an actual plan.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
McGee joked with the crowd that their most similar qualities were distress around loud noises and mild anxiety.

— Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of joke

Noun

The government still has not come up with a solution to the mountainous piles of rotting garbage that accumulate on the streets for months.

— Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
One of the nurses tried to cover up the error by fishing the empty bottle of the muscle relaxant out of the garbage and taking it home.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of garbage

Verb

What everyday skills should kids practice before the first week of school?

— Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 10 Aug. 2026
Running under the surface of the film is the anxiety that kids his age are lucky to secure any job, even one as low-paying and exploitative as Erika’s studio assistant.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026

Definition of kid

Verb

Sebastian Galeano fools the Lake Mary defense by carrying it himself and scampers 40 yards for the touchdown.

— Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Roughly 700 agents ultimately participated in attacks on Hugging Face as part of a broader effort to fool the scorer for a cybersecurity benchmark.

— Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of fool

Browse Nearby Words

chafes

chaff

chaffed

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Style

“Chaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaff. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of chaff

noun (1)

noun (2)

verb

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