1
: an ostinato phrase (as in jazz) typically supporting a solo improvisation
also
: a piece based on such a phrase
2
: a rapid energetic often improvised verbal outpouring
especially
: one that is part of a comic performance
3
: a succinct usually witty comment
4
: a distinct variation : take
a disturbing … riff on the Cinderella story—
Daria Donnelly
Daria Donnelly
riffed; riffing; riffs
: to perform, deliver, or make use of a riff
Examples of riff in a Sentence
Noun
He stole that riff from another song.
a mock news program with humorous riffs on current events
Recent Examples on the Web
Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
While the plot was essentially a bigger and louder riff on Borderlands 1, Handsome Jack's major presence and the much bigger variety of wild locales and enemies made the adventure refreshing enough.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 22 May 2025
Vogue, 24 May 2025
Colin Knight, whose works frequently riff off of history and art, has commingled two of these interests in his Wedge chair, drawing upon both his grandmother’s experiences of the London Blitz and Joseph Beuys’s Fettstuhl (Fat Chair).
—Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for riff
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Noun
His fireplug vitality surrendered only to his untamed playing, boogie feel and volumes upon volumes of mesmerizing riffs.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
While the plot was essentially a bigger and louder riff on Borderlands 1, Handsome Jack's major presence and the much bigger variety of wild locales and enemies made the adventure refreshing enough.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 22 May 2025
Verb
Vogue is committed to reporting and riffing on the global fashion conversation—always filtered through the lens of culture and what’s happening in the world at large.
—Vogue, 24 May 2025
Colin Knight, whose works frequently riff off of history and art, has commingled two of these interests in his Wedge chair, drawing upon both his grandmother’s experiences of the London Blitz and Joseph Beuys’s Fettstuhl (Fat Chair).
—Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for riff
Cite this Entry
“Riff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riff. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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