Merf has circulated online mainly as a short reaction sound rather than as a clip tied to a widely documented scene, which is part of why it works in so many edits. Creators use it to punctuate an awkward moment, a failed comeback or a character who cannot quite form a reply, especially in anime-style compilations and meme videos. Its vagueness is the point: because it sounds like a half-word, viewers can project their own frustration, confusion or defeat onto it, keeping the clip useful long after its first uploads.