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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Turn on the fan, and the moving air will blow away the lighter chaff. — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Apr. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for chaff

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaff

Noun

Avon Street remains closed from Merriman to Niagara Street as crews clear the roadway of debris.

— Elle Meyers, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
However, throwing it back over the fence could create another dispute, particularly if doing so amounts to dumping debris on your neighbor’s property.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of debris

Noun

White elephant gift exchanges are a holiday party staple, bringing plenty of laughs, a little friendly competition and, of course, the occasional gift-stealing showdown.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
Cohen is so naturally funny and quick with improvisation that there are plenty of laughs along the way.

— Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of laugh

Verb

The collection was teased in the initial announcement for Gymshark’s campaign with Megan, who wore the SoftSense shorts in Impact Red.

— Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Morgan had previously teased that the reality series would stream on Hulu, but Versant insiders said there were no streaming plans at the time.

— Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of tease

Noun

What makes a successful scooper Professional scoopers typically use basic tools like a rake, a dustpan lined with a garbage bag and a garden sprayer to sanitize tools in between jobs.

— Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
Pan Yan The substance is integrated into a transparent, medium-sized insert designed to fit onto a garbage bin lid.

— Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of garbage

Browse Nearby Words

chafes

chaff

chaffed

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Chaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaff. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of chaff

noun (1)

noun (2)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on chaff

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes