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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
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
2
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
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Recent Examples of chaff
Lance Eliot, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
This dynamic—in which markets lowball ambitious movies, and streaming platforms ply audiences with algorithmic chaff—leaves little room for both enthusiasm and good-faith challenges.
—Elena Saavedra Buckley, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2024
Chaff flower will be used instead of Japanese chaff flower to refer to Achyranthese japonica, an invasive floodplain plant not known to be present in Michigan.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 30 July 2024
Drinkers then sit around an open pot of beer and drink it through straws that filter out the barley seeds and chaff.
—Steve Hindy, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2015
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Noun
The challenge is in discerning the wheat from the chaff.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
This dynamic—in which markets lowball ambitious movies, and streaming platforms ply audiences with algorithmic chaff—leaves little room for both enthusiasm and good-faith challenges.
—Elena Saavedra Buckley, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2024
Chaff flower will be used instead of Japanese chaff flower to refer to Achyranthese japonica, an invasive floodplain plant not known to be present in Michigan.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 30 July 2024
Drinkers then sit around an open pot of beer and drink it through straws that filter out the barley seeds and chaff.
—Steve Hindy, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2015
See All Example Sentences for chaff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaff
Verb
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The token will also be an acceptable form of payment at restaurant chains, Stebbing teased, and even potentially soon in kids' school cafeteria lines.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
28 Feb. 2025
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Editor's Note: Nothing has already teased the Nothing Phone (3a) series, which will arrive on March 4.—
Julian Chokkattu,
WIRED,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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And, of course, Oscar host Conan O’Brien found a way to joke about the Kendrick Lamar–Drake beef.—
Christopher Claxton,
Billboard,
3 Mar. 2025
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Some joked that Sean Baker’s speech condemning the impact of streaming was the turning point for Hulu to cut off the broadcast.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Starting today, February 12, 2025, Android customers can watch Apple TV+ on their mobile devices — phones, tablets, and foldables, whatever those are (just kidding, this is what those are).—
Tony Maglio,
IndieWire,
12 Feb. 2025
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Finally, Mack’s precocious 11-year-old daughter Opal (Norah Murphy) is more in tune with adults than kids her age.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Coffee beans are imported from Colombia and roasted three times a week at the Doral location in an 8-foot-tall metal roaster.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
28 Feb. 2025
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The cooking method also plays a role in flavor and aroma, depending on whether the piña is roasted with mesquite, oak, or pinewood, for example. Distillation, whether artisanal in copper or ancestral in small clay stills, further refines the final profile.—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Look for the producer, grape variety, region, and vintage, and don’t be fooled by flashy words.—
Emily Price,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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Also, unlike its many imposters (and there are many similar looking wireless lamps out there, so don’t be fooled), the Poldina comes with a 1-year warranty on the battery and a 2-year warranty for any defects.—
Wilder Davies,
Bon Appétit,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaff. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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