Illustration of crescendo
- mark indicating crescendo 2
cre·scen·do
krə-ˈshen-(ˌ)dō 
plural crescendos also crescendoes or crescendi
krə-ˈshen-dē
1
a
: a gradual increase
a crescendo of excitement
specifically
: a gradual increase in volume of a musical passage
b
: the peak of a gradual increase : climax
… complaints about stifling smog conditions reach a crescendo …—
Down Beat
Down Beat2
: a crescendo musical passage
crescendo
intransitive verb
crescendo
2 of 2adverb or adjective
: with an increase in volume
—used as a direction in music
Examples of crescendo in a Sentence
Noun
The noise rose to a crescendo.
excitement in the auditorium slowly built up and reached its crescendo when the star walked on stage
Recent Examples on the Web
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
As each memory played out, and as Marchand got more and more emotional, the crowd got louder, reaching a crescendo at the end.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2025
That reached a crescendo ahead of Super Bowl LIX, but the Chiefs’ lopsided loss to the Eagles cooled the talk.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025
Opening day would reach its crescendo — as McBride alluded to — with the performance by Porter, who was opening the festival’s main arena stage for this 68th edition.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crescendo
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Noun
All the pieces seem to fit, producing a symphony of contact and occasional crescendo of slug.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
As each memory played out, and as Marchand got more and more emotional, the crowd got louder, reaching a crescendo at the end.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2025
That reached a crescendo ahead of Super Bowl LIX, but the Chiefs’ lopsided loss to the Eagles cooled the talk.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025
Opening day would reach its crescendo — as McBride alluded to — with the performance by Porter, who was opening the festival’s main arena stage for this 68th edition.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crescendo
Cite this Entry
“Crescendo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crescendo. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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