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: a song or melody that keeps repeating in one's mind
Examples of earworm in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But by the time your brain catches up with the inconsistencies, McAnuff’s production has moved on, carried by one earworm after another and wall-to-wall (literally) kinetic projections.
—
Elisabeth Vincentelli, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
The earworm tunes and weird lyrics through which the adult Townshend processed that trauma make the show moving when offered at the right scale.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Temu has also bought pricey TV commercials during the past two Super Bowl games, including multiple ads this year with an earworm jingle.
—Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024
Indeed, the series packs each episode with Easter eggs that are sure to delight fans, including a certain familiar earworm and the return of everyone’s favorite cabbage merchant.
—Devan Coggan, EW.com, 22 Feb. 2024
With a colorful animated ad featuring a sprightly jingle (which is also an earworm), the company immediately got noticed.
—Cmo, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
The appeal is easy to see: Onstage and on record, there’s an infectious bravado and retro cool to go with the slinky grooves and earworm hooks.
—Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 21 Jan. 2024
The denouement, with jingle legend Paul Anka saving the day with a giant-defeating earworm, is a neat way to end things.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 24 Nov. 2023
Released in April of last year, the anthemic tune — complete with Kate Bush-esque vocals, an earworm hook and a killer guitar solo — is on Morris’ mind because of the group’s recent performances on the late-night show circuit.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 2 Feb. 2024
Elisabeth Vincentelli, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
The earworm tunes and weird lyrics through which the adult Townshend processed that trauma make the show moving when offered at the right scale.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Temu has also bought pricey TV commercials during the past two Super Bowl games, including multiple ads this year with an earworm jingle.
—Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024
Indeed, the series packs each episode with Easter eggs that are sure to delight fans, including a certain familiar earworm and the return of everyone’s favorite cabbage merchant.
—Devan Coggan, EW.com, 22 Feb. 2024
With a colorful animated ad featuring a sprightly jingle (which is also an earworm), the company immediately got noticed.
—Cmo, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
The appeal is easy to see: Onstage and on record, there’s an infectious bravado and retro cool to go with the slinky grooves and earworm hooks.
—Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 21 Jan. 2024
The denouement, with jingle legend Paul Anka saving the day with a giant-defeating earworm, is a neat way to end things.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 24 Nov. 2023
Released in April of last year, the anthemic tune — complete with Kate Bush-esque vocals, an earworm hook and a killer guitar solo — is on Morris’ mind because of the group’s recent performances on the late-night show circuit.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 2 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'earworm.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1802, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing earworm
Articles Related to earworm
Dictionary Entries Near earworm
Cite this Entry
“Earworm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earworm. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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