variants
or boffo
1
as in chuckle
an explosive sound that is a sign of amusement
an old joke dating from the days of vaudeville that's still good for a boff
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in laugh
something said or done to cause laughter
the emcee told some good boffs that kept the ceremony from becoming too serious
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of boff
Other spring arrivals Giant ($1,215,687) and Every Brilliant Thing ($1,566,354) continued strong showings, and Ragtime was boffo as always at $1,152,711.
—
Greg Evans, Deadline, 21 Apr. 2026
The show returned for the second half of its 12th season in January to boffo numbers, a rare growth story in the land of basic cable.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Wall Street predicts boffo box office.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
But those boffo receipts came alongside mixed reviews, which all but kills For Good’s already-slim chances of pulling a Return of the King–style win for the series as a whole.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 28 Nov. 2025
Swift has also been selling CDs and vinyl LPs in advance through her website, in various design variants and bundled with merchandise — like an orange cardigan paired with a CD in a sparkly box for $70 — all but guaranteeing boffo opening-week sales numbers.
—New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Serena and Nate boff at a wedding reception on Gossip Girl
Two high-school students bump uglies on the bar of Michael Jordan's Steakhouse with a reception happening about two feet away.
—Laura Beck, Cosmopolitan, 25 July 2017
Greg Evans, Deadline, 21 Apr. 2026
The show returned for the second half of its 12th season in January to boffo numbers, a rare growth story in the land of basic cable.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Wall Street predicts boffo box office.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
But those boffo receipts came alongside mixed reviews, which all but kills For Good’s already-slim chances of pulling a Return of the King–style win for the series as a whole.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 28 Nov. 2025
Swift has also been selling CDs and vinyl LPs in advance through her website, in various design variants and bundled with merchandise — like an orange cardigan paired with a CD in a sparkly box for $70 — all but guaranteeing boffo opening-week sales numbers.
—New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Serena and Nate boff at a wedding reception on Gossip Girl
Two high-school students bump uglies on the bar of Michael Jordan's Steakhouse with a reception happening about two feet away.
—Laura Beck, Cosmopolitan, 25 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boff
Noun
-
After a chuckle, someone asked what the doctor’s diagnosis had been.—
Rebecca Edmisten,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
And what begins as a clever, high-concept joke doesn’t always build beyond a steady stream of chuckles.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Their laughs and chatter fill the countryside and one another’s hearts, the merriment binding them all together like caterpillars in one big cocoon.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
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Over Your Dead Body knows that sustaining a harmonious union amid petty jealousies, paranoia, and personal flaws is hard; navigating a hostage situation involving desperate sickos and sociopaths is even harder; and maintaining a balance of laughs and gag-reflex tweaking is the hardest of it all.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This special evening of laughter is presented by event founders Robert and Michelle Smigel with Jill Leiderman, and is directed by Glenn Weiss.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Everyone in the theater clammed up, as if embarrassed to have endorsed Max with laughter.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As the Ado Annie-like Betsy, a horny teen-ager whose father owns a shotgun, Kurtz is playing a character who should be, and kind of is, a one-joke punch line.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
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Complaints about hospital food are certainly not new, and Jell-O and fruit juice are often the butt of related jokes.—
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Wishing you all a week of giggles, group projects, and—yes—solidarity.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
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Their antics made Huntington Beach a national laughingstock — but Gates and his pals so far have had the last giggle.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Here opposites — classy and brassy — are distractions, with odd-couple joking substituting for something more substantial.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
-
There was none of the usual laughing and joking.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The dialogue is overladen with snicker-worthy cliches, a swelling, melodramatic soundtrack that doesn’t match the mood, dubious cameos and plastic, perfunctory life-affirming quotes.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
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The event also had free opportunities to take photos, get ice cream snickers and have earned a Super Bowl post card.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
Updated February 5,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Uber initiative is the latest sally in a long war pitting plaintiffs and their lawyers against businesses, with legal fees as the battleground.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2026
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Prices of stocks and bonds, along with long-term interest rates, have oscillated up and down in response to the daily verbal sallies from the White House.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Boff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boff. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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