as in swipe
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
the mama cat would give her kittens a cuff with a paw whenever they played too rough
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in bracelet
usually cuffs plural
something that physically prevents free movement
the policeman snapped the cuffs on and led the prisoner away to the car
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to sock
Related 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 cuff
Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 2 Jan. 2026
Tips for Washing Dress Shirts Always remove the collar stays, unbutton all buttons, unroll cuffs, and empty pockets.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 31 Dec. 2025
Dan Pompei, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
Court took a brief recess around 11:30 a.m., and Mangione was led out with his hands cuffed behind his back.
—Renee Anderson, CBS News, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cuff
Noun
On a frigid New Year’s Day, New York’s new democratic socialist mayor Zohran Mamdani was sworn in, with his wife, Rama Duwaji, alongside him, grabbing attention for her romantic brown frock coat, trimmed at the hem and cuffs with chocolate faux fur.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 2 Jan. 2026
Tips for Washing Dress Shirts Always remove the collar stays, unbutton all buttons, unroll cuffs, and empty pockets.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 31 Dec. 2025
Verb
Coles had to apprehend and cuff him.
—Dan Pompei, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
Court took a brief recess around 11:30 a.m., and Mangione was led out with his hands cuffed behind his back.
—Renee Anderson, CBS News, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cuff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cuff
Verb
-
This lousy wintry Monday came a day after unseasonable severe weather socked the area.—
Laura Bannon,
CBS News,
29 Dec. 2025
-
Many of his cases involve wives who were not only unaware of their husband’s crypto dabbling, but when the assets are finally split, can be socked with a massive tax bill from capital gains.—
Kevin Williams,
CNBC,
7 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Damon has been boxing nearly his entire life.—
Nina Burns,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Doing the little things in practice, in terms of boxing out, in terms of talking, and in terms of being physical with each other.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Five players were booked during their defeat to Cameroon, including Foster, who slapped the linesman’s hand twice and screamed in his face in frustration over a decision.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Mimicking what happened seven years earlier after the Dallas playoff win in Charlotte, the players ran back outside and took a lap around the stadium, slapping hands with delirious home fans.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
To speed up the decomposition process in the compost pile, chop the plants into small pieces and tear apart the soil mass.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Nov. 2025
-
As for Quavo himself, the Atlanta rapper recently chopped it up with Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young for Billboard and The Player Tribune’s first episode of their Switching Stages video series.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In another funny video, Monroe is seemingly belting out her own high notes before Carey playfully steps out from behind a door, revealing that Monroe was lip-syncing to her mom's iconic voice.—
Ellie Beeck,
PEOPLE,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Malone donned a cowboy hat and blue jeans for the occasion, before belting out the track from Raye’s 1994 album, Extremes.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
One defensive stop later, and the Hurricanes clinched their 31-27 win over the Rebels to punch their ticket into the national championship game.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The Ravens battled the Pittsburgh Steelers in a crucial division matchup, where the winner would be crowned AFC North champs and punch its ticket into the postseason, while the loser would be sent packing.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Diaz obliged, but not before smacking an unlucky onlooker with a wayward first attempt, above.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Often, though, the clutter is the point, and you’re smacked with temperamental textures that channel the flippant streak of plunderphonics.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Key's Jerry is a disruption through and through, knocking everything just a little off-kilter with each volatile appearance.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cuff. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share