Thesaurus results for RIFF

riff

noun

ˈrif

Definition of riff

as in interpretation

a distinct treatment of something (as a story or a play) a mock news program with humorous riffs on current events

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 riff The Villeret Quantième Complet is a contemporary riff on the 1980s original, featuring a 40 mm steel case and a white dial with a complete calendar and moon phase complication. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 3 Oct. 2026 After a long, oddly relevant riff about applying for a job that calls for five year’s experience when one year might be enough, Tolle used the example of facing the Pirates’ star Paul Skenes in his first major league start in August 2025. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026 For his druggy riff on Big Daddy, Firstman recruited former enemies, current friends, and a variety of other personalities from New York’s LGBTQ+ party scene. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026 Moon fashioned the first lines of the song’s melody around portions of the core riff, ending that opening line with four notes of tension and release. — Tom Roland, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for riff

Recent Examples of Synonyms for riff

Noun

The Many Worlds interpretation is gaining momentum as a candidate to solve the quantum measurement problem.

— Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Attorneys for the plaintiffs in both cases argue that Congress could ban a broad array of activities inside private homes — including cooking, gardening and remote work — under the government’s interpretation of the 19th century law.

— Michael Kunzelman, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of interpretation

Noun

Informed by its huge trove of 10 years of prior battery data, Theyyunni said its large language models now predict the results of dozens of minor chemistry changes and process variations far faster than any physical prototyping and testing could.

— John Voelcker, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2026
Nacer is quite good at variations of patriarchal obliviousness, and Pebdani suffuses her women with streaks of guilt.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of variation

Noun

That draft bill is a legislative version of an AI safety framework the company has been pitching for months, a company spokesperson told Semafor.

— Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
The composition of these jets isn’t crystal clear, but scientists suspect electrons, positrons (the antimatter versions of electrons) and perhaps protons are pulled along swirling magnetic lines before being sent out from the black hole’s poles.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of version

Browse Nearby Words

rife

riff

riffle

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Riff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riff. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of riff

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes