Illustration of balalaika
balalaika
noun
bal·a·lai·ka
ˌba-lə-ˈlī-kə 
: a usually 3-stringed instrument of Russian origin with a triangular body played by plucking or strumming
Examples of balalaika in a Sentence
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She was classically trained on the piano starting at age 4 and plays over 20 other instruments, including the mountain dulcimer, banjo, folk harp and balalaika, according to her bio.
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Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2025
Karokhina will play the balalaika and Smirnov will sing and play the guitar and garmoshka.
—Courant Community, 25 July 2017
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Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2025
Karokhina will play the balalaika and Smirnov will sing and play the guitar and garmoshka.
—Courant Community, 25 July 2017
Cite this Entry
“Balalaika.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/balalaika. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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