as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
the belief that soda is made out of acid is just piffle
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to muddle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of piffle
Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 7 June 2024
To note that Gloria!, the directing debut of Italian actor-singer-songwriter Margherita Vicario, is vapid, pseudo-feminist, sentimental piffle would be entirely accurate.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The irony of the lightweight piffle being resurrected 26 years later isn’t lost on the group.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 21 July 2023
People who are too cowardly to put their names behind their allegations are hiding in the shadows, using the anonymity of dark money laws to try to raise doubts in the minds of voters by spreading inflammatory charges that amount to piffle.
—cleveland, 12 Sep. 2021
The whole story now seems like so much piffle, except for the sons who lost their mother and a princess who lost her life.
—John Anderson, WSJ, 7 Oct. 2021
It’s a not-quite-living imitation of a movie, a self-parody that lacks even a touch of humor—because, at the slightest sting of wit, its entire membrane of fakery would burst and leave hardly a piffle of vapor behind.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2021
The fact that all those involved in discussing this question have heads full of tosh and piffle does not make for productive debates.
—Salman Rushdie, The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2020
Though often dismissed as superstitious piffle, ghosts have proved surprisingly durable.
—The Economist, 28 Oct. 2017
The Economist, 31 Oct. 2019
Noun
Too often, the competing streaming algorithms at Netflix, Max, and Amazon Prime Video push a smattering of undifferentiated piffle.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 7 June 2024
To note that Gloria!, the directing debut of Italian actor-singer-songwriter Margherita Vicario, is vapid, pseudo-feminist, sentimental piffle would be entirely accurate.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The irony of the lightweight piffle being resurrected 26 years later isn’t lost on the group.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 21 July 2023
People who are too cowardly to put their names behind their allegations are hiding in the shadows, using the anonymity of dark money laws to try to raise doubts in the minds of voters by spreading inflammatory charges that amount to piffle.
—cleveland, 12 Sep. 2021
The whole story now seems like so much piffle, except for the sons who lost their mother and a princess who lost her life.
—John Anderson, WSJ, 7 Oct. 2021
It’s a not-quite-living imitation of a movie, a self-parody that lacks even a touch of humor—because, at the slightest sting of wit, its entire membrane of fakery would burst and leave hardly a piffle of vapor behind.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2021
The fact that all those involved in discussing this question have heads full of tosh and piffle does not make for productive debates.
—Salman Rushdie, The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2020
Though often dismissed as superstitious piffle, ghosts have proved surprisingly durable.
—The Economist, 28 Oct. 2017
Verb
The Ritz, a smart London hotel where Margaret Thatcher spent her last days, is in fine fettle, turning a neat annual profit and valued in the region of £800m—not bad for a property bought for a piffling £75m in 1995.
—The Economist, 31 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piffle
Noun
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The art world, like the artwork itself, exists in a delicate balance of elitism and absurdity, meaning and nonsense.Natalie Stoclet, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
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The basic idea here is that Vince Vaughn is doing his mid-aughts-dirtbag Vince Vaughn thing but on Christmas — a premise that’s laid on a foundation of plausible-sounding nonsense.Katie Rife, Vulture, 16 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Now that appears more muddled: The economic momentum remains, but inflation looks stuck at levels far below the peak — yet still too high for policymakers' comfort.Courtenay Brown, Axios, 27 Nov. 2024
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In essence, here is a fascinating bit of history about the Pacific War that’s muddled by Li’s desire to make the very construction of his documentary the framework of said history.Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 23 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The juvenile was white with brownish brindle patches around each eye and found in a garbage bag.Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 17 Dec. 2024
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While Dogtown's hot dog menu is immense, Basile said garbage plates are always a top seller.Angelica Stabile, Fox News, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Each individual branch should be fluffed, moving branch-by-branch and section-by-section from top to bottom.Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Dec. 2024
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The Blaugrana got back on track by thrashing Mallorca 5-1 in Son Moix on Tuesday, but Madrid then fluffed its lines in San Mames and fell 2-1 to the Basques 24 hours later.Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Go Disposable Gone are the days when disposable cups, plates, and utensils were synonymous with landfill rubbish.Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Nov. 2024
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Johnson: There’s so much rubbish talked about this.Susan Page, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
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But Cleveland blundered in getting Colavito back, just as the team had in sending him away.Richard Goldstein, New York Times, 11 Dec. 2024
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As Burroughs’s alter ego, a blundering heroin addict pining after a younger man, the actor manages to be uncool onscreen for the first time ever.Nate Jones, Vulture, 30 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Try sprinkling ground flaxseed or chia seeds on granola and yogurt, and snack on small quantities of nuts during the day.Sandee LaMotte, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
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The best choices for you and the planet Another important omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid or ALA, is found in nuts and seeds such as walnuts, flaxseeds and chia seeds — with ground flaxseeds and flaxseed oil providing the highest amounts, according to Harvard Medical School’s website.Sandee LaMotte, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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But the breadth of AI activity in retail is just boggling.Evan Clark, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
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Nowadays, the choice of where to ski in this extraordinary mountain range is mind boggling to say the least.Duncan Madden, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near piffle
Cite this Entry
“Piffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piffle. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
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