riff
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Analysts at Nomura describe it as a classic "picks and shovels" trade, a riff on how selling tools during a gold rush can earn people more than searching for the precious metal.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
From Nigella Lawson’s riff on a Caesar salad to creamy lettuce soup, here are a few ways to cook and enjoy a produce item that’s typically eaten cold and raw.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
Better if still on-the-nose in its representation of the subject being examined are the works that riff on lobola, an exchange of cattle that bonds families related by marriage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Silence Is Talking by Reverend & The Makers is reborn as the terrace anthem, aided by the trumpeter in the England band playing the familiar riff taken from War's 1975 song Low Rider.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Then Elijah started playing a great riff on his bass, which turned out to be the opening of “Seven Nation Army.”
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
Instead, consider Jane Schoenbrun’s Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, which riffs on slasher films like Sleepaway Camp and Friday the 13th.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
The trio has reunited for “So Unanchored,” a weekly podcast fueled by spontaneous riffs on their years together, pop culture and their deep friendship.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Keith Richards doesn’t seek out old Rolling Stones records—unless he draws a blank trying to remember one of his many iconic riffs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
C.K. riffs at length about the bags under his eyes, the existential terror of waking up and the absurdity of putting his father in a retirement home.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
A high-pitched howl wailed over frenetic guitar riffs, followed by booming drums.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
President Donald Trump riffed on his White House predecessors in a children's podcast Friday, while also joking about his weight and musing as to whether his body is swimsuit-ready.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
But just as pizzaiolos have riffed on the Neapolitan pie, some artisanal bakers have found that the key to success lies in strategically breaking from dogma.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026
Bono has, for decades, riffed on this concept: “America isn’t just a country, it’s an idea.”
From Salon ● Mar. 10, 2026
During a midweek livestream, Adams had riffed off the results of a poll that asked whether people agreed with the statement “It’s OK to be white.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2026
And then a sound riffed into that silence.
From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg
The bar is decorated with references to China's AI boom, with logos of the country's major labs on the walls and the menu full of jokes riffing on tech jargon.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
The movie is seeded with nods to Green Day lore, scripted over long sessions riffing with the band over its tour catastrophes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
A Taco Bell X post last week riffing on the joys of “spiritually sitting in a taco bell parking lot at sunset” was met with poop emojis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
So no one should think this was just Sotomayor riffing off the cuff.
From Slate ● Apr. 10, 2026
He was riffing about on his acoustic guitar.
From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman
