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
David Weigel, semafor.com, 6 June 2025
Staged in the bowels of the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, this year’s showcase began in a space featuring three clever riffs on the limitless potential of ceramics.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 30 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
But his riff on American competitiveness, and the need for more smart immigrants, became infamous on the nationalist right.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 6 June 2025
Staged in the bowels of the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, this year’s showcase began in a space featuring three clever riffs on the limitless potential of ceramics.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 30 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 10 Jun. 2025.
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