riff
noun
a melodic phrase, often constantly repeated, forming an accompaniment or part of an accompaniment for a soloist.
were riffing
-
past progressiveof riff.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Since the beginning of touring “Achtung Baby,” we were riffing on this idea of “even better than the real thing.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2024
It never dawned on me that they were riffing on anything.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2022
“We were riffing about that and doing the whole dismantle-the-patriarchy thing.”
From Washington Post ● Nov. 27, 2021
This work was made by the artists Eva and Franco Mattes, who were riffing on the famous “ceiling cat” image first posted online in 2006.
From New York Times ● Apr. 4, 2019
Like all good caricatures, these interviews capture something of the truth, even if with exaggeration, and, as in all good interviews, the subjects speak freely, as if they were riffing unguardedly among friends.
From The New Yorker ● May 14, 2015
